


we come undone

by nerducci



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°), Alternate Universe - Pirate, Blood and Injury, Consensual Sex, Dadvid but pirate, Death Threats, Dirty Talk, Dirty Thoughts, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Fights, Fluff and Smut, Gunshot Wounds, Healthy Relationships, Lots of Cuddling, M/M, Multi, Period Typical Attitudes, Sexual Tension, Sharing a Bed, Swearing, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Threats of Violence, Violence, but!!!!! happy ending, cough cough don't look at me i'm embarrassed, hopefully hhnghn, in gun fights and stuff I mean come on they're pirates, literally so much sexual tension tbh, mostly fluff but it gets a lil spicy, nothing too graphic tbh but there are scenes with people getting hurt, probably horribly out of character but nevermind lmao, this gets kinda dark oof, this is just for a brief moment in chapter 1 but tagging anyways, voyeurism kinda?? yeah
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2019-10-28 20:41:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 46,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17794406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerducci/pseuds/nerducci
Summary: Falling in love isn't something David exactly planned to do. But then again, he didn't plan on getting kidnapped by pirates either, so it's probably fine.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok i've been nervous about posting this for various reasons but mostly bc i'm an anxious bitch BUT. i put too much effort into it to not post it lmao  
> i'll update on fridays until i inevitably get writer's block and run out of chapters to post  
> also the threats of rape/non-con tag is just for 1 brief scene in the 1st chapter, nothing really happens so idk but i wanted to tag it in case,,  
> this ain't super dark btw there's some injury stuff later but nothing graphic (also some spicy stuff. cough)  
> also like. the first part is danvid and then we got jaspdanvid after that but um. it's kinda slow burn lmao  
> OH YEAH AND IF U DIDN'T GUESS. THIS IS A PIRATE AU. THERE ARE PIRATES. GOD anyway enjoy bye

When he wakes up, David isn't in his own bed. The room, which is dimly lit and smells vaguely of linen and wood, is lurching uncomfortably beneath him and _why the heck is he not in his own bed?_

"Morning, sunshine," someone says, and the mattress shifts as they sit down next to him. "Sorry about that blow to the head; you put up quite a fight back there. I didn't want to have to hurt you, but... you know how it is."

 _Blow to the head?_  Maybe he has concussion. Maybe that's why the room is swaying.

"Where-?" David tries, but his voice isn't co-operating. God, he must have hit his head _hard._  He sits up and tries to make his eyes focus.

"You must understand, darling, your father is a very powerful man. He's willing to pay a pretty penny for your safe return, I'll bet. Don't worry, you should be home in a couple of days."

But home from _where?_ And who's-

David squints at the man who's speaking to him. Everything is blurry, but he makes out a white shirt and blonde hair. Blue, unblinking eyes. Concerned, perhaps. Amused, definitely.

_Dangerous._

David screams and scoots backwards. _"Don't touch me!"_  he shrieks, as stories of kidnappings and pirates flash through his mind. He has always known that the stories are true, of course, but-

_Pirates._

That's why the floor's moving, isn't it?

He's on a ship.

Oh, dear God.

White clothes, blonde hair, cold blue eyes. He _knows_  this man. Everyone does.

He's stuck on a ship with one of the most notorious pirates in the land.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. No one wants to pay money for a dead man." He laughs, but it isn't a friendly sound.

"You're him, aren't you?" David whispers. He's shaking. "You're Dauntless Danny."

The man cringes. "God, don't _call_  me that. It's stupid."

"It _is_  you, isn't it?"

"I'm known by a lot of names. But yes, that is one of them. Unfortunately." He whistles through his teeth, looking slightly resentful. "I'd rather you just call me Daniel. And you must be David, no?"

"H- how-"

Daniel smiles. "Your father. He's a well-known man. He is a _rich_  man, Davey. Can I call you that? Davey. I like it. Anyhow, the ransom we're asking is large. You're going to make me a _lot_ of money, and for that I'm very grateful. Oh, don't look so frightened, darling. I'm not going to hurt a hair on your pretty head."

Oh, God.

This is bad. This is very bad. This is _so_  so bad. God, no, this is _terrible._

David's father doesn't care about him. He isn't going to pay a ransom.

And when Daniel finds that out, he won't have a use for David anymore.

He's going to die.

David bursts into tears.

"D- what on earth is the matter? Did I not just tell you I wouldn't- God, you rich assholes are high maintenance! Listen, darling, I'm not a _monster._  You're perfectly safe. Stop blubbering."

David stops crying for a moment, mostly out of fear, and snuffles, looking at Daniel warily. "You p- promise?"

"I promise."

"Even if my- even if my father doesn't pay the money?"

"Even if- ha, of course he's going to pay the money. Don't worry about that, my love."

 _No._  There's no way his father would ever pay even a single shilling to save him. David starts crying again.

"Oh God, what did I say?" Daniel demands. "Stop _crying!_  I'm trying so hard to be nice but you're really _trying my patience._ There are other ways of getting money. I could just have my way with you and throw you overboard. But I've given you the nicest bed on the ship, and stitched up your wounds _myself,_  so could you please for just one second _shut up!"_

Out of pure terror, David does shut up. He closes his eyes and hugs his knees to his chest. _God,_  he doesn't want to be here.

 _"Thank_  you," Daniel mutters, and the room falls silent for a few dreadful minutes before he speaks again. "Listen, sweetheart, I didn't mean that. I won't hurt you. But I'm going to need you to co-operate with me. Do you understand?"

David nods silently.

_"Do you understand?"_

"Yes! Yes, sir, I- I understand. Please don't hurt me."

"This again? Really? I've killed hundreds of people, Davey. If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead."

_Was... that supposed to be comforting?_

Daniel scooches over to him and wraps an arm around his shoulder. "God, would you stop trembling? I'm really trying here, you know."

"S- orry," David whispers, and tries to force himself to stop shaking. It doesn't work.

Suddenly Daniel's face is incredibly close to David's, nuzzling into his neck, tongue darting out to lick at his jaw. David squeaks in surprise and tenses up.

"Mm, you smell good," Daniel purrs in his ear, and moans slightly as David gasps in fear. _"Fuck,_  you're unbelievably pretty. You have no _idea_ what you do to me."

"What I- what do you mean?" David asks, the fear obvious in his voice.  
  
"I _mean_  you get me all riled up, Davey. God, I want you. I could just throw you down and fuck you until you're begging me to stop."

David yelps and flinches away. "Please don't! I don't- I don't want to be hurt!"

"I can make you feel so good, Davey," Daniel says, his hand tracing up David's inner thigh. "Please let me, darling. I'll make you feel so special. You'll love it."

"N- no! I don't want you to touch me, I don't-"  
David's protests are cut short as Daniel bites down on his neck. He screams. "You're a lunatic! You're insane, you can't do this!"

"I can do what I want with you," Daniel hisses. "You're _mine._  Let's not forget who's in charge here."

"Please, please! You said you wouldn't hurt me! You promised!"

Daniel sighs and pulls back, putting some distance between them. "Alright, have it your way." He pauses, smiles, and then continues speaking as if nothing happened. "Have you ever been on a ship before?"

David's eyes squeeze shut and he clenches his fists, trying to block the world out. This isn't happening, this isn't happening, _this isn't happening._  In a minute he'll wake up in his own bed and get on with his normal, boring, familiar life.

 _"I asked you a question._  Tell me, David, have you been on a ship before?"

"No- no, I- I did once, when I was younger, but it w- it was docked, it didn't leave the harbour."

Daniel smiles sweetly and takes his hand. "Come on, then. I think you're going to like this."

Ignoring his struggling, Daniel leads David out of the room and up some dimly lit stairs. They reach the top of the steps and suddenly it's blindingly bright, and salty air hits David's face. It takes a moment for his eyes to adjust to the light, and he has no choice but to blindly let Daniel lead him forwards.

When his eyes do finally adjust, David gazes around in awe. The ship's deck is bigger than he thought it would be, and the skies above are brilliantly blue. A few other people are hanging around on the deck, but they don't pay much notice to Daniel and David.  
It isn't as cold as he thought it would be, either; the air is pleasantly warm from the hot summer sun, and a cool light breeze whips at his hair. It smells of salt and adventure and _freedom._

"Wonderful, isn't she?" Daniel says, gesturing around the deck. He's talking about the boat, David realises, and nods wordlessly. "Her name's Enchantment. The finest ship there ever was."

David spins around, breathing in as deeply as he can. The air is so unbelievably fresh and clean, not like the dirty streets of the town with its horses and smoke and food stalls.

 _This is what it's like to be free,_  David realises.

Except he's not free. He's here against his will. Daniel's vice-like grip on his wrist reminds him of that as he drags David towards one side of the ship's deck.

"Look at that," Daniel says, sounding proud. He leans on the edge of the boat, staring at the vast expanse of water. "Isn't it magnificent?"

_The water._

David has been close to the ocean his whole life, but _this..._

He's never been so completely surrounded, engulfed in it. Aside from the ship, there's _nothing_  for miles, just water, water, _water._ Deep and unforgiving and _filled with terrible creatures that could swallow him whole._

David shrieks as he recoils, jerking out of Daniel's grasp and stumbling back into the centre of the boat. He cowers there as close to the floor as possible, quaking in fear.

Daniel looks utterly bewildered at his sudden outburst, and runs to David's side.  
"Hey, what's the matter? Are you hurt? Talk to me!" Daniel urges, but David just screams.  
He screams and screams and screams until he can't scream anymore and he's choking on his sobs. Daniel's arms are around him and he's clinging on for dear life.

He's completely stranded in the middle of the ocean and he's _terrified._

Everything's going blurry and spinning, _God, why is everything spinning?-_  he's hyperventilating, chest heaving, _fuck, the air isn't going into his lungs properly, he's going to die-_

"Shh, shh, it's okay. Breathe. David, _breathe._ Slower."

Things aren't quite registering in his mind and he isn't entirely aware of where he is or what's going on, but the comforting voice in his ear soothes him, and his breathing slows a little. He's still shaking and gasping for breath, but the arms around him feel so secure.

_This is safe._

"David, slower, please. Deep breaths. Take nice deep breaths for me, darling. _That's_  it, good boy. You're doing so well. Stay calm for me now. Good boy."

He isn't sure what he was so upset about anymore. This isn't so bad.

Everything feels a little distant, sounds fading into the background, as if he isn't really there at all.

After a little while, he lets his body fall limp, and the gentle swaying of the ship lulls him to sleep.

***

_"-but I don't see why he hasn't sent someone yet. He's one of the richest merchants this side of the Spanish Main."_

_"And_ I _don't see why you're questioning your_ captain,  _Jen. You know it's bad luck to have a woman on board. Don't try anything."_

"Try anything? _Are you_ serious? _All I'm saying is you seriously haven't thought this through! If this guy really isn't going to pay for his son's return, well... what are we going to do with some pretty rich boy? Throw him overboard?_ Sell _him?"_

_"It might not come to that. Have patience."_

_"Don't talk to me about patience, Daniel. You know you're just as agitated as I am."_

_"I am not."_

_"You're twitchy."_

_"I am_ not!"

_"Whatever. Just try not to get us all in trouble, okay?"_

_"Me? Trouble? I don't know_ what  _you're talking about."_

_"Hah. Whatever you say, Captain."_

David opens his eyes and blinks a few times. Everything feels bright and warm and gentle.

"Ah! He's awake. Go make yourself useful, Jen."

He hears footsteps approaching him and then someone's sitting next to him, stroking his hair gently.  
"Hello, darling. Did you rest well?"

David blinks again, trying to get his brain to focus. He feels weird and disoriented.  
_What time is it?_

"David. How are you feeling? You've been asleep for a few hours."

He sits up slowly and stretches his arms, smiling warily at Daniel. "I'm okay," he says. His voice sounds weak. "Little bit stiff."

"Well, you'll get that from sleeping on the deck." Daniel laughs gently. "I was going to wake you, but you looked ever so peaceful. Thought about carrying you down to bed, actually, but I didn't want to disturb you."

"Thanks... that's, uh- thanks."

Daniel smirks. "Cat got your tongue?"

"I- I'm sorry," David whispers, hanging his head and blushing.

"No, no, it's okay! Hey, there's no need to be embarrassed, come on. Do you want something to eat?"

"Uh, I'm okay, thank you."

"David. It's been over twelve hours since you last ate. I think you should try to have some food."  
His tone is harsh and commanding now, and David knows that it isn't a suggestion. He flinches away slightly. He doesn't understand how Daniel can swing so fast from being so sweet and kind and caring to acting with cold and cruel austerity. It's infuriating; but he doesn't have the energy to argue, and it'll probably get him killed, so he just nods blankly and stands up.

"Good boy," Daniel enthuses, his smile back and bright as ever. He helps David to his feet and catches him when he stumbles a little. The ship's constant movement is going to take some getting used to. David takes a few wobbly steps forward, uncomfortably aware of Daniel's arm around his waist.

When they're below deck once more, Daniel leads him to a small dining area with a sturdy oak table. He leaves the room and comes back minutes later with a plate of bread and meat and fruit.  
"Here you go, my dear," he says, setting the plate on the table. "Would you like a glass of wine?"

"I, uh, don't drink," David falters, and Daniel laughs.

"If you say so, pretty boy. Let me know if you want some, though. It'll help calm your nerves."

All of Daniel's pet names are kind of sickening. And yet somehow, in a way, it's actually _nice._  David can't help but find himself liking the attention. No one has ever treated him like they really care about him. But Daniel is different. He's _terrifying._ Yet he's treating David so well, making him feel so special.

_He's manipulating you._

David frowns and nibbles on his food. He can't start trusting Daniel. He's in danger. Daniel's _dangerous._

"What's the matter, Davey? Is the food not to your liking?"

He jumps and glances up at Daniel, who's watching him from across the table, before ducking his head down again. Daniel isn't eating anything himself, just staring at David, a little too intensely for his liking.

"It's fine," David mumbles, trying not to blush. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"I've already had something. Thanks for your concern, though, angel."

The new pet name catches David off guard. He flushes and giggles like a fool.  
_For heaven's sake, why is he reacting like this?_  
Daniel's probably going to kill him soon.

_He won't. He promised._

"God, you're so cute," Daniel mutters.

And then the morning's events come rushing back to him. Daniel pressing against him, breath tickling his neck, hands grazing his legs.

His hand flies to his neck. It's a little swollen where Daniel bit him.

David pushes his chair away from the table. It scrapes unpleasantly across the wooden floor. "I have to go," he says. He doesn't know where he's going to go, but he can't be in here anymore.

"David, wait," Daniel says. He looks dismayed. "Hey, where are you going?"

Ignoring Daniel, he makes for the door, before he hears the click of a gun.

"Don't make me hurt you, David."

David spins on his heel, already crying. "Why must you be so _awful?"_  he shouts, and Daniel jolts slightly from the sudden noise. "You hurt me and steal me away from my home and then promise you won't hurt me and call me by all these stupid pet names but then you make unwanted... _advances_  and then you _bite_  me and then you take me upstairs and show me the ship and I freak out and you comfort me and you're nice to me and now you're threatening to _shoot_  me? _Why did you have to waltz into my life and fuck everything up?_ Just shoot me! I'd rather die than stay here any longer!"

_Oh no._

_That was a mistake._

Daniel's _definitely_  going to kill him now.

David closes his eyes and braces himself for impact. This is it. This is how he dies.

He doesn't hear a gunshot though. Just silence, for several painful seconds, and then the sound of the gun dropping on the table.

"I'm sorry."

He opens his eyes slowly. Daniel looks taken aback, to say the least. His eyes are sad.

"I shouldn't have kidnapped you in the first place. But I'm a pirate, it's kind of what I do." He laughs slightly, and then sighs. "I know nothing I can do is going to fix things, but I wanted to make you're as comfortable as possible as long as you're on my ship. But things got complicated. You- you fascinate me, David. I don't know why, you just- you mess me _up._  I've only known you for a day and- I'm... you know. It's not an excuse, but... anyway, I'm sorry."

David shakes his head slowly. He honestly didn't follow that and has little to no idea what Daniel's talking about, but he decides not to question it too much. Instead he just smiles awkwardly. "Uh, thanks? I- I think."

Daniel laughs. "You're so damn pretty, David. God, I could look at you all day."

He doesn't know what he's supposed to say to that, so just covers his face with his hands to hide his furious blush.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. You're just very nice to look at."

David lets out an embarrassed whine, and Daniel curses under his breath.

"And you make the prettiest noises," Daniel murmurs. "Fuck, I could make y- I mean... anyway. Would you eat some more for me, darling? You didn't have very much."

"Why do you care so much?"

"Because no one's going to pay money for you if you starve to death. And... I care about you."

David sighs. "Well, you're the only person who does. My father isn't going to pay the ransom."

"What do you mean? Of course he is," Daniel says slowly. "What makes you say that?"

"He doesn't care about me, he never has!" David exclaims, throwing his arms in the air. He realises he's yelling and lowers his voice a little. "He isn't coming for me, Daniel. You might as well shoot me now."

A full minute passes in silence. It's uncomfortably quiet.

"I'm not going to shoot you."

"Wh- what?"

"I'm not going to shoot you. Even if your father doesn't pay - which he will, I'm sure - I'm not going to hurt you. I made a promise. Dauntless Danny don't break no promises."

David snorts slightly at the use of appalling grammar and his unwanted alias.  
"I thought you hated that name?"

"I do. It's dumb. Dauntless Danny my ass. It fucking sucks. No one's afraid of someone called Dauntless Danny. I'm a laughing stock."

"I'm afraid of you," David says quietly.

"You're- sorry, what?"

"You have a reputation. You're notorious and intimidating and _terrifying."_

Daniel looks amused. "You're- gosh, Davey, I... that's _good,_  but... I don't want _you_  to be afraid of me."

"Maybe you should have considered that before scaring the shit out of me in every possible way."

 _Jesus Christ, stop talking back to him, he's going to kill you- n_ _o, Daniel made a promise. He won't do anything. But he's a pirate, he can't be trusted, he-_

"Heh, I guess you're right. Maybe somehow I can regain your trust. You're fully entitled to hate me forever, though."

_Oh._

"I don't... I don't hate you," David says carefully.

"You don't?"

"No. I just... don't want to get hurt."

"Yeah, that's understandable. Listen, David, keep your distance if you need to. I'm here if you need me, though."

David knows deep down that Daniel isn't a good person. He said it himself, he's killed hundreds of people. Daniel's the one who kidnapped him and took him away from the life he had before. Thanks to Daniel, he'll probably never see his father again.

_But maybe that's a good thing...?_

He knows that Daniel's terrible. But he's never felt so cared about, so _loved,_ before today. It's a strange feeling, and David isn't entirely sure that he likes it, but still he finds himself wanting more. He craves the stupid pet names and the softness and the reassurance. He just wants somebody to hold him and keep him safe. And right now, there's no one he'd rather have do that than Daniel. Which is _awful,_ right?

Suddenly he feels guilty for shouting before, and cringes. "I'm sorry for yelling," he says, fidgeting anxiously with his hands.

"It's okay. I'm sorry for... well, you know." Daniel waves his hand vaguely, and then sighs dramatically. "Ah, fuck. I'm going soft. Look at me, David. This is your doing. You're really messing with my head."

"I- I don't know what-"

"Forget it. You can bring your food up onto the deck, if you want."

There's a gentleness to his words, and it makes David want to trust him. He knows he shouldn't. Trusting a pirate is never a good idea, and Daniel hurt him, and- _and he promised not to hurt him again._ Either way, he isn't about to let his guard down on account of a few gentle words.

Even if something about the way Daniel smiles at him makes his heart beat just a little faster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope u liked it!! and be sure to go say hi on tumblr, i'm @nerducci and also @jaspvid! also @nerducci on insta,, thank u so much for reading :D


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAT SUP DUDES it's that day of the week that day being friday and since it's friday i am here like some weird ass demon you just summoned in the bathroom of a highway gas station  
> ANYWAY chapter 2 time bitchhh  
> fair warning, there's smut in a few chapters but it's like. badly written smut so don't get your hopes up lmao  
> also if there are ever typos i'm sorry i usually proofread like twice and then get bored ok thx

The rest of the day is slow and uneventful. After his meal, David lies down on the deck and does his best to relax. The wood beneath him is warm, and the boat's gentle and rhythmic rocking soothes him.

He can't bring himself to look at the ocean just yet.

Instead he focuses his attention on the sky. It's the richest blue he's ever seen, like something straight from a painting. There isn't a single cloud in sight. Occasionally a gull or a tern swoops past, and David wonders what it would be like to be able to glide so freely through the sky, nothing to hold you down, not a care in the world.

  
All afternoon, Daniel keeps his distance, giving David time to himself to rest and relax. As the sun begins to set the temperature drops significantly. Daniel approaches him and hands him a worn brown coat.  
"Here," he says, "you must be getting cold."

David slips the jacket on. It smells of leather and liquor and dust. Not the most pleasant smell, but David finds it oddly comforting. It makes him feel warm and secure. He doesn't say anything, just wraps the jacket tighter around himself and closes his eyes.

"Suits you," Daniel says softly, and pauses. "There's a pod of dolphins a little way away. A couple are quite close to the boat. Do you want to come have a look?"

David hesitates. He's never seen dolphins before, and the thought excites him - but equally he doesn't want to be reminded of his current situation. Seeing the water stretching out into the distance like that messes with his head, makes him feel unsafe.  
In the end he nods uncertainly and takes the hand that's offered to him.  
Daniel leads him to the edge of the ship and he drags behind a little, not really wanting to see the ocean again.  
When they reach the side of the boat, though, the first thing he sees is a dolphin leaping out of the water and spinning in mid air. He gasps in wonder, and Daniel laughs.

"These are spinners," the captain says. "Known for their impressive spins and tricks. Which is why they call them spinners, I suppose. Not incredibly creative, but it works."

David squeals in delight as the dolphin jumps again. "I didn't know there were different types of dolphins," he breathes, watching for the creature again after it disappears underwater.

"Well, sure, there are lots! You got your short-beaked common dolphin, bottlenose, Indo-Pacifi- what? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing, I just- you sure know a lot about dolphins."

Daniel smiles. "I know a lot about a lot of things."

"Can you teach me?" David asks with wide eyes. He isn't sure why exactly, but he's filled with the sudden desire to _know_  things.

"Teach you about what?"

"Everything! I want to know about the world!"

Daniel chuckles at his sudden enthusiasm and shakes his head. "Well, I'm not sure about _everything,_  but there are perhaps a few things I could teach you. Do you know how to use a compass? Tell the time using a sundial?"

"No, I've never- oh, Danny, look!"  
David points out to where the dolphin was before. There are others now, four or five, and-  
He realises what he just called Daniel and flushes. "Uh, sorry, I know you don't like being called that."

"Danny's fine," Daniel replies, laughing slightly at David's embarrassment. "Just don't stick some dumb adjective before it, alright? And don't say it in front of Jen, she'll never let me hear the end of it."

"No dumb adjectives, got it. Wait, who's Jen?"

"My self-appointed first mate. She hates being on this ship. Seriously, she'd rather be as some posh rich people party or something. But we're close, I suppose. It's probably best if I don't introduce you to the rest of the crew, though. Wouldn't want you to go getting attached."

David pulls a face, confused. "Wait, why not?"

"They're expendable."

"Oh... oh. Okay."  
It's not okay. David thinks that that's actually really mean, but Daniel could have him dead in less than four seconds, so he decides not to question it.

Daniel just sighs and smiles. "Anyway. It's getting late; you should rest up. Let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you," David says quietly, and Daniel starts walking away, but he dashes after him. "Wait, wait- where should I sleep?"

"In the bed you woke up in, of course. Would you like me to escort you down there? We have soap and clean water if you'd like to wash."

"Uh, yeah, that's- thank you." He hesitates as he follows Daniel below deck. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"You'll learn not to question these things," Daniel answers somewhat cryptically. "Take what you can get and consider yourself lucky."

"But-"

They reach the cabin he woke up in, and Daniel pushes him onto the bed and hands him a towel and a clean cotton shirt.  
"Here. Sleep well, David."

With that, he's gone. David frowns. Why is Daniel so reluctant to talk about it? He knows he shouldn't push too far because there's a too chance that he is still in danger, even if Daniel promised not to hurt him. But he wants to _know._ Why would he treat David with so much respect? Well, at first he was _awful,_  but now...

David groans and runs his hands through his hair.

 _Why does this all have to be so confusing?_  If Daniel was just constantly cruel and unpleasant, it wouldn't hurt so much. But he's so _nice_  at times, and it's just... confusing.

Surely Daniel can't seriously care about him? They're practically strangers. David's a _hostage,_ for God's sake. It doesn't make any sense.

_'Ah, fuck. I'm going soft. Look at me, David. This is your doing. You're really messing with my head.'_

David does his best to wash with the equipment provided. He misses warm water and soft bedsheets.

The bed is softer than he expected, though; he didn't really take it in this morning, but it's comfortable, and the sheets feel clean and fresh.

Which should be comforting, but it just reminds David of his bed back at home. Home wasn't always entirely pleasant, but still... it had a certain familiarity to it nonetheless.

He lies awake for a while, and eventually cries himself to sleep.

***

When he wakes up, it's silent, except for the creaking of wood and soft lapping of waves against the side of the ship.

David gets up and dresses swiftly. He isn't entirely sure where he's going, but he can't go back to sleep, he just can't. The bed is too big, too empty. It feels like something is missing. David craves gentle affection, arms around his waist. He feels irritable and twitchy and he needs fresh air.

It's still night time, he realises upon ascending the stairs, and the stars are so _bright._  
The sky's completely clear, and the darkness is comforting somehow. The light of the moon illuminates the ship, though, and makes the still water sparkle.

A sudden movement across the deck makes him jump and yelp in surprise. A dark figure, whose face he can't make out, whips around at the sound.

"Ah, David! You scared the shit out of me."

_Daniel._

"S- sorry!" David squeaks as Daniel walks towards him.

"Shh, it's okay. What are you doing up? It's past midnight."

"I woke up, and, uh... I felt... I don't know. I wanted some fresh air. How come you're awake?"

Daniel chuckles. "Well, I was _going_  to sleep, but _somebody_  stole my bed."

"Oh! Who?"

Daniel raises his eyebrows, and then scoffs at David's puzzled expression. "You... really don't know much about ships, do you?"

David frowns. "What do you mean?"

"Ah, well, I'm the captain. This is my ship, I'm in charge. The crew members are beneath me, they aren't as important. They bunk together below deck. But, being the captain, I have my own private quarters. More spacious, with a nicer bed, and so on."

"Oh, okay." David pauses, and then it clicks. _"Oh._  You mean- wait, I've been sleeping in your bed?"

Daniel laughs. "Yes. The crew can be rowdy and _annoying,_  I didn't want you to have to deal with that. And there's no way in _hell_  I'd _ever_  sleep down there with them. I was planning on sharing my bed with you, but after what happened in the morning, I thought I shouldn't be-...it seemed like a bad idea."

It's nice that Daniel's trying to be respectful, David thinks, but deep down he'd prefer it if Daniel had just decided to share the bed with him. It would have been nice to have Daniel's warm, strong arms wrapping around him. Yeah, okay, Daniel is a _pirate-_  but right now the thought of physical affection from him seems pretty nice. Plus, if Daniel wanted to kill him, he'd be dead, right?

"You should go back to bed, darling," Daniel says. "Don't worry about me. It's nice out here, really. I like looking at the stars."

David ignores him and sits down on the deck. After a moment he lies down and stares at the skies above.

"David, what are you doing?"

The sky is beautiful out here, away from the lights of the town where he grew up. It's the prettiest thing David has ever seen, he thinks.

"David. Go back to bed."

"Not until you come with me!" David blurts out.

"Wh- come on, darling, you know I can't do that. Not after how I've been treating you. You deserve your space."

David stares up at him with pleading eyes. "I don't want space," he whispers. "Please, I want you to hold me."

"I _won't._  It isn't fair."

"I'm not moving unless you come with me."

"David, get up."

"No."

"God damn it, David, you'll freeze to death out here!" Daniel exclaims, and scoops down to pick David up.  
He's surprisingly strong and lifts David with ease. The sudden physical contact is warm and nice and David clings onto him, burying his face in Daniel's neck.  
He holds on tight the whole time as Daniel carries him downstairs and sets him down gently on the bed.

"There. Now- for the love of God, Davey, would you let go of me?"

David keeps clinging on, arms wrapped tightly around Daniel's neck, dragging him down onto the bed. "No, don't go! Please, you said you'd stay!"

"I said no such thing," Daniel grumbles, trying to disentangle David's arms from around his neck. "God, why are you so clingy all of a sudden? Let me go!"

David lets his arms drop to his sides and he sniffs quietly, his eyes welling up with tears. "I'm sorry. I just- I just want to be held."

"Darling, I- no no no no no don't cry! Oh my God, Davey, please, no more tears! I'll stay! I'll stay."

"R- really?" David asks, his lips quivering.

Daniel sighs. "Yes, of course. I can't have my gorgeous boy feeling sad now can I? I'll stay with you, baby, if that's what you want."

"It is."

Daniel sighs again as he yanks David's clothes off and pulls the covers up over him. Then he undresses himself, and slips under the covers as well. "Here. Is this okay?"

Daniel's chest is pressed against David's back, arms wrapped around his waist. It feels warm and secure and good.  
David smiles, finally feeling comfortable enough to drift off once more. His eyes slip shut. "Thank you, Danny," he whispers.

"You're welcome, beautiful," Daniel replies softly. His breath brushes against David's ear. It's warm as he breathes out, and cool when he inhales. Warm, cold for a moment, warm again. Rhythmic, soothing.  
"You're a real pain in the ass," he mutters, stroking David's hair gently. "But I have to admit, I'm growing rather fond of you."

David just mumbles vaguely in response. He isn't really listening anymore.

"You going back to sleep now, sunshine?" Daniel asks, and David just hums in agreement. "Okay. Good boy. I'm right here, if you need me."

David nods slowly as he drifts off into a deep sleep.

_This is surely the most peaceful he has ever felt._

***

"Wake up."

He wakes up to Daniel shaking his shoulder roughly.

"Come _on,_  get up. I need to make the bed.

"Tired," David groans, not yet fully coherent.

"Yes, I know. Get up."

David does as he's told and climbs out of bed, feeling more exhausted than when he fell asleep.

"We're sailing today," Daniel informs him, in a not entirely helpful way. They're on a ship, what else would they be doing? "You don't have to do anything, but lying in bed all day isn't good for you. At least get up and stretch your legs."

"Okay," David grumbles as he dresses. "Can I lie on the deck again?"

Daniel smiles. "Course you can, pretty boy."

The nickname makes David blush a little and he hides his face in his hands, squeaking slightly in embarrassment.  
Daniel just laughs quietly and takes one of his hands away from his face to lead him from the room. "Come on. It's nice and warm outside; you can come lie in the sun."

  
David does just that. The warmth of the sun is nice, but it's nothing compared to Daniel's warmth against his back. He finds himself missing that.

  
In the evening, Daniel escorts him to his room, and David collapses in bed, completely exhausted after a long lazy day of doing absolutely nothing.

"Well, sleep tight, darling," Daniel says, and makes to leave, but David grabs his wrist.

"Where are you going?" he asks, staring up at Daniel with wide eyes.

"I'm going to go look at the stars."

"Oh." David pauses. "You'll come back, right?"

"Mhm."

"Promise?"

Daniel hesitates. "Yes, I'll come back. I promise. You try and get some sleep, now, angel."

  
David lies awake for around an hour. The bed feels weird and empty without Daniel pressed against his back. Cold.

He doesn't sleep until Daniel returns.

Daniel undresses swiftly and slips into bed behind him, wrapping an arm gingerly around his waist. "I'm back," he whispers, and David smiles. "I hope you're sleeping, because I told you to get some sleep and I don't like it when people don't do what I say."  
His tone is light and joking and David giggles quietly.

"I'm sorry," David whispers back, eyes shining in the darkness as he wriggles around to face Daniel. "I just couldn't sleep without you. You're warm."

"Huh. You're warm too." Daniel's arms snake around his back and pull him close. "This okay?"

David nods and gives a quietly elated gasp as their bare chests press together. He wraps a leg over Daniel's hip and pulls him even closer, revelling in the sensation of being so close to Daniel's warm body.

"Whoa, isn't this a bit close?" Daniel asks under his breath.

_No no no. This is perfect, he doesn't want to move._

David doesn't say anything, just snuggles even closer and pretends to be asleep. After a moment Daniel laughs.

"I know you're not sleeping, David," he whispers.

David suppresses a giggle.

"Come on, Davey, don't you want a bit of personal space? I don't want to impose or-"

"Shh."

"Huh?"

"I'm trying to sleep."

Daniel laughs quietly and hugs him a little tighter. "Okay, pretty boy."

After a little while, David falls asleep nestled against Daniel's chest.

***

In the morning, David wakes first from an embarrassingly vivid dream about Daniel whispering equally embarrassingly erotic things in his ear. Danger and fear and lust and adrenaline combining. He's fairly certain there was a gun or a knife involved, and he's even more certain that he probably shouldn't find that enticing.

The sun hasn't yet risen. He slips out of bed and up the stairs to breathe in the cool, pre-dawn air; a light mist drapes itself over the deck.  
He returns to Daniel's quarters and gets back into bed, snuggling up against the captain. It's so warm here compared to the cold air outside. Daniel's body is warm against his, and David traces little circles on his arm with one finger, watching his chest rise and fall rhythmically. Daniel's face is so peaceful like this, and David can't resist leaning forward to press a small kiss on his jaw.  
He pulls back immediately, embarrassed. _What the heck made him want to do that?_

Quickly dismissing that question, he just sits for a while, watching Daniel's gentle breathing.

Half an hour passes, and Daniel stirs, his body tensing up and then relaxing as he wakes. He groans slightly and rolls onto his side, catching David's eye and sitting up.

"Hey," Daniel mumbles sleepily, rubbing his face with one hand.

It's such a simple greeting and yet it stirs something within David, urging him to kiss Daniel's face again. He holds back and opts to just reply sensibly instead.

"Hey," he parrots, but it isn't all husky and sexy like Daniel's, it's more of a nervous squeak, and Daniel snorts.

"What's up?"

Despite his furious blush, David manages to regain his composure. "You, finally."

_Wait, when did he decide that Daniel's voice was husky and sexy?_

Daniel grins. "Wow, okay. How long have you been awake?"

"Like... an hour?"

Daniel groans. "I have to go and check on the crew. See what's going on, you know, see if we're on course for, uh..."  
He trails off with a yawn and stretches. "I'll be back in a bit, darling."

After Daniel leaves the bed feels cold and empty, but David is left with a warm and fuzzy feeling regardless.

  
The day is much the same as the previous two. David spends his time hanging around on deck. He watches Daniel have a heated conversation with some of the crew, but doesn't get involved. He still hasn't really met any of the crew members, but recalls the thing that Daniel said about them being expendable, and decides that that's probably for the best.

  
When the sun sets, Daniel leads him to the captain's quarters and lies down with him. The room is almost completely dark, and it's hard to see his face, but David gets the impression that something is bothering Daniel. They've barely spoken all day, and Daniel seems somewhat uncomfortable.

They lie in silence for a while.

"Daniel?" David whispers eventually. "What's the matter?"

More silence, and then Daniel sighs. "Don't worry about it," he says quietly.

"I am worried. You seem... upset? Was- did I do something wrong?"

"No, no, God, no. No, David, you're fine. It's not you." Daniel sighs again. "It's just- your father, he should have sent word by now. We haven't travelled far. It doesn't usually take this long, I- I'm trying to be patient, but... Jen thinks he isn't going to pay."

"Oh." David closes his eyes and takes a shaky breath. "I don't think he is either. I already told you, he doesn't care about me."

"I don't get it. Why wouldn't he care about you?"

"My, uh- my mother died shortly after giving birth to me. Father blames me, he always has. He never really cared about me. You probably did him a favour by kidnapping me."

Daniel hesitates. "Oh. Shit, David, I- that's awful. I'm so sorry."

There's a moment of terrible silence as Daniel seems to process this new information.

Now that he knows he probably won't be getting any money, David knows that Daniel has no further use for him.

Daniel promised not to hurt him, but things are different now.

More painfully quiet seconds pass.

"Are you going to kill me?" David whispers.

Daniel chokes and then starts laughing. _"What?_ Kill you?" he wheezes. "David- darling, no! Of course I'm not going to _kill_ you. God, I- I don't know _what_ I'm going to do with you, but I won't kill you."

David ducks his head, embarrassed. "I- I'm sorry, I just thought... you don't need me anymore, and you're... a _pirate,_  so..."

"No no no no, I get it. God, that's- no! I promised not to hurt you, didn't I? _Kill you,_  honestly, good God. No, my darling, I would never kill you."

"But... you've killed other people."

"Of course I have. But you're different, David."

 _Thank God._  David isn't entirely sure that he believes it one hundred percent, pirates are pirates after all, but Daniel _has_ been incredibly sweet to him, for the most part.

Gentle hands cup his face.

"Hey, listen," Daniel whispers. "I know I've been awful to you, but you have to trust me on this. I'm not going to hurt you, not ever. I don't want you to be afraid of me."  
  
David just nods. He doesn't want to admit that he kind of _likes_  being afraid of Daniel.  
His mind wanders back to his dream the night before, and lust mixed with shame twists his insides.

He tries not to think about it anymore.

After a while, they fall asleep tangled in each other's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH  
> OKAY so that's.  
> yeah


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY FRIDAY
> 
> it's not even 1am but it COUNTS

"Up."

He's woken by someone shaking his shoulder violently. David blinks away the fuzzy feeling from having just woken up and-

"I said get _up._ Now."

"Da- niel?" David asks slowly, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"Thank God, you're awake. Took you long enough. Get up, get dressed, we're leaving."

David's eyes take a second to adjust before they finally focus on Daniel, who's standing at the foot of the bed, fastening his belt.  
"Leaving where? We're in the middle of the ocean."

"Not for long." Daniel drags the covers off him, exposing David to the cool air. He shivers. "Come _on,_ up, up, up! Get dressed, quickly!"

David does as he's told, and the second he's dressed, Daniel grabs his wrist and drags him above deck. There are several other people up there, seemingly making preparations for something. One has a pile of ceramic pots, organising them by size, for a reason unfathomable to David. Another person hauls a wooden chest into the centre of the deck and starts unloading bags of something, coins maybe, it's impossible to tell.

"Jen, what's our status? We're still on course for the Scarmeny Chain, yes?" Daniel asks someone, and David turns to see who he's talking to. This must be Jen, the self-appointed first mate Daniel was telling him about one his first day aboard. Before today, David hasn't even spoken to any of the crew members, and now he feels somewhat vulnerable.

"We are, Captain," Jen says. "We'll be ready to dock at Port Pilwich by the end of the day."

"Excellent. I don't think we should dock, though. We'll anchor and take a rowing boat out."

"Captain, that isn't a good idea. We might be collecting cargo, remember? And we may need to make some repairs."

"You know I don't like being pent-up."

"It's only for a little while, Daniel. It won't be _too_  risky." Jen turns to David, who's standing awkwardly behind Daniel, not entirely sure what is going on. "Hello! My name is Jen. You must be David! Gosh, you're very good looking-"

"Jen," Daniel growls as David ducks his head, embarrassed. "Don't."

Jen grins. "Sorry, Danny. I forget sometimes just how _dauntless_  you are."

"Oh, fuck off," Daniel groans, taking a swing at her face, which she easily ducks, laughing.

"I can't help it, it's just so _funny._ Anyway, I'll be downstairs if you need me. We're going to drop a bunch of this stuff off. See if we can pawn it, make some money off of it."

As Jen wanders off, David frowns slightly and turns to Daniel with a question. "What did she mean by 'collecting cargo'? I thought this was a pirate ship?"

"It is. But we don't just steal things. We take jobs from time to time. Delivering things," Daniel explains, "occasionally. It isn't something we do often, but certain people are willing to pay a _lot_  of money to have certain things taken to certain places."

"Oh. Okay." David blinks, confused. He isn't sure he really followed that explanation, but decides to just accept it and move on.  
"So... what's happening now?" he asks, glancing back at the crew congregating in the centre of the deck. There are only five or six people, which doesn't seem like an awful lot going off what he's heard about pirates.

"We're stopping off at a little place called Pilwich. It isn't much, and we have no real reason to go there - _and_  it's off course. But I thought it would do you some good to walk on some solid ground, even if it's only for a little while."

David's eyes widen. "You mean... you went out of your way to do something... for me?"

"Yes, that's what I'm saying, we didn't-"  
Daniel hesitates and then sighs. "Don't look at me like that, David. It isn't a big deal."

"Sorry, sorry, I'm just... a little overwhelmed. That's really sweet of you, Daniel."

Daniel mutters something about David turning him soft and leaves to talk to another couple of crew members, leaving David standing and grinning foolishly to himself. He isn't really sure what to do with himself and eventually opts to just stand and sway awkwardly.

A few minutes pass and Daniel returns. He shoves some kind of red silk garment into David's hands.  
"Here," Daniel mutters. "So you blend in more. Pilwich isn't a wealthy place by any means, but you look like death itself, and this should help a little."

David shakes out the whatever-it-is that he's been handed and observes it. It's a waistcoat, he realises. Silky and crimson and expensive looking. Gold swirls are embroidered into the soft fabric; the same colour as the glinting buttons.  
"Daniel!" David gasps. "Are you- do you really-? Oh, it's pretty!"

Daniel snorts. "Well, you're pretty. And it matches your hair."

"Oh, Daniel, thank you!"  
David slips the waistcoat on over his white cotton shirt and fastens the buttons. It fits well, he thinks. It feels good to be wearing something a little more classy, too. He's only been on the ship for a little while, but it's already such a harsh contrast to his life back home that he misses the luxuries of being part of a wealthy family.  
After a second he realises that Daniel is staring at him intently, and he blushes, ducking his head.  
"I don't look too silly, do I?" David asks nervously.

Daniel doesn't say anything for a moment. Just stares and stares and bites his lip, hard.  
_"Fuck,"_  he finally breathes quietly, punctuated with a small moan. "Turn around."

David does so, a little embarrassed. When he's facing Daniel once again he's certain that his blush is the same shade as the waistcoat.

"God, David you're so-"  
Daniel doesn't finish his sentence. Instead he groans and spins on his heel, taking a few steps away before returning to David. David isn't sure exactly what's going on in the captain's head - but whatever it is, for whatever reason, is making Daniel unable to meet his eye.  
"Damn it, you look far too rich, you're going to get mugged,"Daniel snaps suddenly. "Or worse. Here."  
He grabs David's arm and rolls his sleeve back so it's bunched up just above his elbow, and does the same on the other side. Then he tugs at the bottom of David's shirt, partially untucking it from his trousers. Daniel then stands back to admire his work.  
"There," he says smoothly, a small smile quirking at his lips. "A little more rough around the edges, that's better. Hold on, I have one more thing."

Stepping forward, Daniel wraps something around David's neck. It appears to be some kind of scarf, yellow in hue to compliment the gold accents on the waistcoat.

"To cover the, uh..."  
Daniel trails off and gestures vaguely at his own throat.

Oh.

David almost forgot about the bite on his neck. It's not swollen anymore, but doesn't look great, and it's probably going to scar.

David nods. "Right! Right."

The fact that it only happened a couple of days ago is a little bewildering. This is only his fourth day on the ship, but it feels like he's been here for at least a whole week. The fact that Daniel practically assaulted him just a few days ago doesn't feel right.

_Gosh, has it really only been three full days?_

And each night David has slept with Daniel pressed up against his back. It's warm and good and safe. It hasn't been very long, but the thought of sleeping alone is upsetting now.

Oh no.

_Oh, no._

David's blood runs cold and _God,_  he feels _sick._

This is bad. This is really bad.

He's starting to develop feelings for Daniel.

He hasn't ever been in love before, and he isn't sure if these are romantic feelings, but they're _feelings,_  alright. He starts to realise that the thought of being away from Daniel fills him with dread, and he wants to be held tightly again. He wants- no, he _needs_ Daniel's arms around him. His mind flicks back to the... _inappropriate_ dreams he had two nights ago. Last night's weren't much better; thoughts of Daniel's hot mouth all over his body sends shivers down his spine.

_What's wrong with him?_

This can't be good. Daniel's practically a stranger.

Daniel's a _pirate._

 _God,_  this is messed up.

David launches himself into Daniel's arms and starts sobbing violently onto his shoulder.

"Whoa, David!" Daniel exclaims, taken aback. "What the- what's the matter?"

All he wants right now is to be held.

"I- I don't know!" David wails, and sobs harder. "I'm sorry! You just- you're nice to me and I like you! I think, I don't know!"

Daniel laughs quietly. "Okay, okay. Let's stop with the waterworks, hm?"  
He wraps his arms around David's back and holds tightly. "See? It's okay. I'm here."

David hugs him back, holding tight, his face buried in Daniel's neck. He moans slightly as he breaths in Daniel's warm scent. Right now he wants nothing more than _Daniel._  He tries to shake those thoughts but it's hard with Daniel right here in his arms. _God,_  he's so _desperate,_  and Daniel's _so close,_  but David wants to be _closer._

_What the hell is wrong with him?_

"Davey, look! See those islands in the distance? That's the archipelago we're headed for, the Scarmeny Chain. Port Pilwich is on the island closest to us."

David looks up and follows where Daniel's finger is pointing. His immediate instinct when he sees the vast expanse of water is to _panic,_  but seeing the little cluster of islands hunched on the horizon helps. They're nothing more than abstract shapes right now, but soon, he'll be walking on dry land. It's a comforting thought.

"How long are we staying there?" David asks quietly, still clutching Daniel in his arms.

"Depends. We have a few errands to run, which won't take too long. But if you like it there, we can stay a couple of days."

David's eyes light up. "Oh, really? Danny, that sounds wonderful! What kind of place is it?"

"Well, it's only a small place, Pilwich. There's a little town built up around the port. Nothing much of interest, but there's a tavern, which is where most people there spend most of their time. You know, wenching and drinking and bar fights, if you're into such things." Daniel waves a hand dismissively and grimaces, glancing back towards the archipelago. "We're not looking for any trouble, though, so hopefully things will go smoothly. Try not to talk to anyone, if you can avoid it." He pauses. "There are a couple of fancy shops there, I think; maybe I can buy you something pretty?"

_Oh, God._

David can't help but giggle at that. "You don't have to," he says sweetly, pressing closer against Daniel.

"I think you deserve it, darling, with what I'm going to-"  
Daniel meets his eyes suddenly and frowns, looks away. He looks sad. "After what I did to you, I mean. After... you'll be fine, I know it." His voice drops to a whisper. "Just stay out of trouble, and take care of yourself."

That confuses David. _What does he mean?_  He's about to question it when Daniel's smile returns and he reaches up to cup David's face with one hand.

"You're beautiful," Daniel says softly, in a speculative sort of way. Distant. _Why does he look so sad?_

"Are... you okay?" David asks slowly. He feels weird now. Apprehensive.

"Fine, fine! Yes, no, I'm- it's fine. Don't worry about me, darling. I should- I'd better go see how preparations are coming along. You can stay up here, if you want."

  
When they finally dock, the sun is just setting, casting a soft pink sort of glow across the sky and sea. It's beautiful and relaxing, or it _should_  be, but David's twitchy. He wants to get off of the ship already.

He's _uneasy_.

Something's clearly bothering Daniel, and David can't figure out what it is.

He hangs around the deck awkwardly, not really knowing what to do as a couple of the crew members dock the ship and tie up.

"Jen, you take this lot and see if you can find a buyer for some of this haul," he hears Daniel saying. "You boys, find a place to stay, a boarding house maybe. You can pay for a room or stay on the ship, I don't care. We're going to be docked overnight though, and I want to give David a break from the ship. I'm going to take him to the tavern. You can meet us there later, if you want a drink. You two see if anyone needs anything delivered. I doubt we'll find any honest jobs, but it's worth a shot."  
The men don't seem too unhappy about the arrangement and soon leave the ship, heading into the port to go do their various jobs. David is left a little starstruck by the confident way Daniel gives his orders. He can't help but slide into a slightly indulgent fantasy about Daniel ordering him around in a similar fashion as he-

"And you, my darling, are going to come with me."  
An arm finds its way around David's waist. He freezes and glances up at Daniel, who's smirking slightly. David doesn't say anything, just lets Daniel lead him off the ship and up onto the pier. It's a wooden structure, held above the water on strong wooden stilts. Boats bob in the water on each side of the pier, turning shadowy and dark as the light fades from the sky.

It hasn't been very long at all since David woke up on the ship, but _God_ it feels good to be walking on solid land again. The second they reach the end of the pier, David drops to his knees and digs his fingers into the dusty soil.

"Wha- what are you doing? You're going to get dirty."

David looks up at Daniel, who looks mildly horrified, and laughs nervously. "Oh, sorry, I- dirt! I missed it."

Daniel pulls a face. "Mm. Well, that's... understandable, I suppose."

After a minute of kneeling on the ground David gets to his feet and brushes his hands off on his trousers. He notices Daniel watching him, intrigued, and bites his lip with embarrassment. "Uh, sorry. I guess I'm-"

 _Going mildly insane?_  God, he literally just dropped to the ground to play in the dirt. Maybe being cooped up in the ship is getting to him worse than he thought.

Daniel just laughs though, and slips his arm back around David's waist. "It's alright, I get it. Being out at sea for the first time is strange, and being on land afterwards is nice. Plus, I think it's cute how willing you are to get on your knees like that."

The implications of that sentence cause heat to pool in David's stomach, and his steps falter.

Daniel seems to realise what he said and visibly cringes, and his grip on David's waist loosens. "Oh, I didn't- sorry if that sounded- uh, you know what-"

"No, no, it's not- I don't-"  
Eyes screwed shut, David whimpers slightly. He can hardly admit that the thought of getting on his knees _for Daniel_  is turning him on.

_God, could you stop being horny for just one second?_

He's been thinking about Daniel in... _that_ way more and more, and he knows he needs to _stop._  It's inappropriate, it's so _wrong._ Daniel's a _pirate._  Daniel _kidnapped_  him. He shouldn't be having those kinds of thoughts about _Daniel._

"You okay?"

David takes a moment to think about the question. Is he okay? Well, his knees feel weak and his brain is foggy with arousal, and Daniel's arm is _so warm_  around his waist and _oh God-_

"David. You don't look so good."

"O- oh? I'm-"

Shit.

"I'm sorry, I'm just- I'm just tired. Don't worry about it." He laughs weakly and allows Daniel to lead him to a nearby building filled with light and laughter and music.

"Alright, if you say so," Daniel replies dubiously, but doesn't push any further. "We'll be sleeping in a boarding house tonight, I think. Shake things up a little. You can have your own room, too, if-"

"No!"  
David slaps a hand over his mouth and flushes. "I mean, uh, I'd rather share with you?"

"That's absolutely fine, darling," Daniel says with a light chuckle. They reach the building they've been heading for and Daniel opens the door. They're greeted with jaunty music and loud chatter. "Have you ever been in a tavern?"

With a small shake of his head, David glances inside nervously. The atmosphere in the building is upbeat, but a good portion of the patrons at the bar look shady at best.

"Alright. We'll get some food and a drink or two." Daniel takes his hand and they step inside. "Stay close. Disreputable people," he states simply as they enter.

"I'll take your word for it," David mutters, feeling apprehensive all over again.

The conversation in the room dies down a bit as they approach the bar. After a moment somebody whoops.

"It's _Dauntless Danny!"_ they cheer, and the room erupts into a drunken sort of applause.

Daniel flips his gun from his belt and puts a hole in a barrel of ale with a loud _bang._ "Shut up."

The room falls silent for a second before the people start cheering and laughing once again.

"That's Danny, alright!" someone shouts. "Somebody get this man a drink!"

A bartender appears from a room in the back and looks around. "Alright, what's all this yellin' an' kerfuffle about?" he demands, but then catches Daniel's eye. His face falls. "Ah. I'm afraid you ain't welcome 'ere, sir-"

Daniel points his gun in the man's face and smiles. "What was that?"

"Uh, what can I get you?" the bartender asks nervously.

"Alcohol. Don't care what. And two hot meals."

"Alright, alright, I'll just be a minute." He hurries off anxiously as Daniel puts his gun away.

David sits still at the bar, completely tense. The sudden gunshot and Daniel's threatening demeanour made him uneasy. Uneasier.  
A promiscuously dressed lady approaches them and sits down at Daniel's other side.  
"So, what brings you to Pilwich, Danny?"

"It's Daniel. And I have business here, so mind your own."

"Ah, I see how it is." The woman points at David. "Who's this fella?"

Daniel laughs. "Did I not just tell you to mind your own business?"

"Aye, I'm just curious as to-"

 _"Mind your own damn business,"_ Daniel shouts, slamming a fist on the bar counter. The woman looks put out and finally leaves, glaring. "God, sorry Davey, I didn't think so many people here would-"  
He groans as a group of giggling girls near them. "What _now?"_

"Is it true that you're the deadliest pirate on all the seas?" one of the girls asks in a small voice after being nudged repeatedly by her friends.

Daniel visibly softens and rolls his eyes slightly. There's a gentleness in his voice when he speaks. "Yes. And a pretty little girl like you shouldn't be talking to me. Why don't you run along now?"

She nods violently and the girls leave. It isn't long before their excited screams and giggles are heard from outside the tavern.

"You have quite the reputation," David says with a smile. He can't help but feel _slightly_ jealous at the way he spoke to that girl. Soft and gentle and- he called her _pretty._  It makes David feel so special when Daniel calls him all those silly pet names. To hear him so casually call a random girl pretty... it hurts just a little.

_God, why does it even matter? He has nothing to be jealous of. He's slept in Daniel's bed, in his arms, something that those girls will never have. Why does it matter?_

"I know," Daniel sighs, drumming his fingers on the counter. "It's annoying. I hate when people come up to me and _talk_ to me. Fucking irritating."

The fact that Daniel found those girls annoying is somewhat comforting to David, although it makes him feel slightly guilty. He can't help it, though. It's nice to know that Daniel really cares about _him_  and no one else.

David smiles slightly. "I thought you would like pretty girls fawning over you like that?"

 _"God,_ no. I'm not, ah- I'm not interested in girls."

Oh.

_Oh._

Well, that made sense, considering how-

"What about you, pretty boy?" Daniel asks, shooting him a smirk. "Think you'd ever want to find yourself a lady friend? Or perhaps you already have one back home?"

David gives a strained laugh and shakes his head. "Oh, gosh, no, I couldn't possibly- no, that would be- it just wouldn't..."

One eyebrow raises. "Oh, really?"

"I- I- I don't- no. No, I've never really- I wouldn't want to- I mean, I haven't..."  
David flushes and averts eye contact, and Daniel laughs.

"Alright, David," he says with a playful grin. "If you say so."

The bartender returns a moment later with their meals and Daniel's drink, and David is grateful for the distraction.  
The food given to them is some kind of soup with a chunk of warm, buttered bread. It isn't the most elegant meal but it's warm and it fills his stomach. The food on the ship isn't bad, but he hasn't eaten anything hot for days, so it makes a nice change.  
After a couple of minutes, David realises that Daniel hasn't touched his food yet; he's preoccupied with watching David eat his. David drops his spoon and folds his hands together nervously.  
"Um, Daniel? Are you going to eat something?"

"Hm?"  
Daniel raises his eyebrows in query but then seems to realise that he's been staring at David for a while. "Oh! Right, yes."

It seems like it almost pains him to look away from David. They eat the rest of their meals without conversation. It's a little uncomfortable, and it isn't long before David starts worrying if he's done something wrong. He knows that it's probably just his nerves getting the better of him, and he should try to relax, but something feels off.

He thinks back to when they were preparing to dock less than an hour ago. He felt it then too.

There's something on Daniel's mind, he's sure of it. Something's _wrong._

"What are you thinking about?" David asks quietly.

Daniel jumps and slaps a hand over his face, gives a slight groan. "Nothing," he mumbles from behind his fingers.

_Things definitely aren't right._

"Daniel... what's going on?"

"Nothing, nothing! Don't worry about it, darling. I'm just- I'm just thinking about... things. You, mainly."

Oh.

"You- really? Me?"

"Mhm."

It's a final sort of answer and David knows he shouldn't question it any further, but he's also dying to know what kinds of things Daniel is thinking about him. After a second he glances coyly up at Daniel and lowers his voice to a slightly nervous whisper. "Bad things?"

"What? God, Davey, no. No, of course not. I could never think bad things about you." Daniel sighs and absent-mindedly draws circles on the bar top with one finger as he takes a swig from his glass. "Just worryin', is all. Needlessly, it's safe to say. Maybe. Don't you worry your pretty little head about it."

"Daniel..."

"Drop it."

"But-"

"I said _drop it."_ Daniel downs the rest of his drink and stands. "We're leaving."

David barely has time to process it before he's being pulled from his seat and out of the tavern. Just outside the door, they run into two of the men from the ship's crew.

"Captain, we found a place for you to stay!" he says, dropping a key into Daniel's hand. "Big white boarding house up the hill, you can't miss it. Yours is room eleven."

"Thank you," Daniel says, and pockets the key. "Don't stay up all night drinking. We might be setting sail again tomorrow, and I can't have all of you hungover."

With that they part ways and David allows Daniel to lead him away from the bustling noise of the tavern. They head up a rough track to the top of a small hill, where sure enough sits a big white house overlooking the port.  
It's pretty dark inside, what with it being quite late, and the landlord isn't around. They make their own way to their room and step inside. It's spacious, a large canopy bed in the centre, along with a desk next to the bed and a wardrobe against one wall. A table and chairs sit in the centre of the room. They're on the second floor, and there's a balcony with gorgeous views of the ocean. There's even an en suite bathroom with a great ornate tub, a luxury that David has missed.

"You like it?" Daniel asks him with a gentle sort of smile as he gestures around the room.

David nods and sits down on the bed. It's comfortable, he notes. As comfortable as Daniel's bed on the ship, maybe more so even. Part of that is the fact that the floor isn't swaying beneath it. "I like it a lot."  
He lies down, closing his eyes. "Gosh, I'm sleepy," he murmurs, settling his head against the plush pillows.

He hears Daniel laughing quietly from the foot of the bed. It isn't an entirely happy sound, but the captain seems a little more relaxed now, at least.

"Sorry if I pushed you too much before," David mumbles, voice sluggish from exhaustion. _When did he start feeling so damn tired?_  "I was just worried 'bout you."

"I know, David. It's okay."

"Mkay."

"You're tired, huh?"

"Mhm."

"Okay. You want to go to sleep?"

"Mhm."

"Okay." The bed shifts as Daniel sits down next to him, and suddenly his boots are being tugged off. David opens one eye to watch Daniel undress him. Daniel swiftly removes David's scarf, and then props him up a little to take off the waistcoat, folding it carefully and placing it on the desk chair next to the bed. He unbuttons David's shirt and then taps his shoulder. "Take off your shirt and pants and get under the covers, okay? I'll be back in a minute."

Daniel gets up and leaves, presumably to make the most of the boarding house's fancy bathroom. David just lies still, not bothering to move. He's too tired for that anyways.

By the time Daniel returns, he's half asleep, and upon seeing him Daniel sighs. "I thought I told you to undress?" he mutters, sitting back down on the bed. David's only very vaguely aware of Daniel removing the rest of his clothes and pulling the blankets up around him. A moment later, Daniel gets into bed as well, keeping his distance and sticking to his side of the bed.

David may be half asleep but he isn't having any of that, and rolls over so he's pressed up against Daniel's side. The blonde is warm and smells like lavender, and David grins sleepily when he realised that he'd taken a bath.  
"You smell nice," David says indistinctly, his words not quite stringing together properly, causing the sentence to come out a lot slower than he intended. Daniel doesn't seem to mind, though, and wraps an arm around David's shoulder.

"Thank you," he says softly. "I washed my hair."

"Can I touch it?"

Daniel lets out a small laugh at David's sleepy question, but he nods. "Of course you can, baby."

David reaches a hand up to play with Daniel's hair. It's soft, if slightly damp. His skin is soft too. The bed's sheets are soft and their breathing is soft and it's just so wonderful. He smiles.

Soon David is properly asleep, his fingers tangled in Daniel's hair, the other arm around Daniel's waist, holding him close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OHHH THAT'S KINDA GAY DAVID
> 
> ohhhhh shit gets real next chapter and y'all are gonna kill me >:) 
> 
> also i'm sorry if there are any continuity errors i wrote this in random sections and then mashed them together. god
> 
> ANYWAY!! until next time bitchhh


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whooooo it's friday again apparently so i'm here

The next morning is a lazy and leisurely sort of morning. After waking up, they lie in bed for a little while longer, drifting in and out of sleep. A couple of hours pass. Daniel decides that they'll stay here for another night or two. Port Pilwich is a nice place, and this bed is _so comfy,_  so it just seems to make sense.

It's past noon when they finally get up and get dressed.

David doesn't want to get up _ever_  because being cuddled up in bed with Daniel is the nicest feeling in the whole world, but Daniel rips the covers off him, exposing him to the room's cool air.

"Come on, David," he says, throwing him a shirt. "We only have a couple of days here. We need to make the most of it. Which means getting our asses out of bed and stretching our legs as much as possible while we can."

David just gives a half-heartedly pugnacious whine as he dresses.

  
The day passes quickly. They meet up with some of the ship's crew, the names of whom David still hasn't been told, and explore the town. Port Pilwich is only small, not a particularly important or fortified port like the town where David grew up.

 _Home,_  he reminds himself. It's still his home.

Even though it is starting to feel a lot like somewhere - or, more accurately, _someone_  - else is his home now.

Thoughts of home are soon dismissed as they look around the town. There are a couple of shops for food, along with a tailor's shop and a blacksmith's. Other than that, and the tavern, of course, there isn't really anything of much interest. Pilwich's population isn't particularly large - the island itself is quite small - but it's a quirky sort of place. The rickety buildings line winding, ramshackle sort of cobbled streets. Beyond the main town there are a few more sumptuous looking buildings, like the boarding house they're staying at.

After spending most of the afternoon looking around the town, Daniel takes David back to their room at the boarding house.

"You wait here," he says when they arrive. "I have a quick errand to run, but I'll be back soon."

David wonders what the errand could possibly be, but decides that it's best not to question it. After all, Daniel's a pirate. It's probably something shifty at best.

  
Which is why it's sort of a surprise when Daniel returns around half an hour later, announcing that he has a gift.  
He holds a smallish black box in his hands and wears a look of general self-assurance and fulfilment.

"Is it... for... me?" David asks, eyeing the box uncertainly.

"Is it- what?- yes, of course it's for you! Who else would it be for? Silly boy."

David flushes, trying to ignore the way Daniel's throwaway derogatory remark sends a spike of heat rushing through his body.

"Here," Daniel says, his tone softer now. He sits beside David on the bed and hands him the box. "I hope you like it."

He carefully lifts the lid off the box and looks inside.

It's a dagger. A silver dagger with a twisted sort of blade and an intricate, delicately crafted handle. It's _dangerous._

"It's beautiful," David breathes, a little awestruck.

Daniel smiles. "Isn't it? I figured you should have at least something to defend yourself with, should you- should _we_  run into any trouble."

David doesn't see how he would end up in a situation where he would have to defend himself, but like many things when it comes to Daniel, he decides not to question it.

***

The moon shines brightly through the windows, illuminating the translucent white curtains. They billow slightly as the wind slips through the half-open window.

David sits on the edge of the bed, turning the dagger in his hand. Moonlight glints off metal. It really is beautiful.

He glances back at Daniel, sleeping soundly in the bed, mere feet away.

David could kill him, if he wanted to.

He doesn't, of course.

But he _could._

The dagger gives him power.

It feels good.

It means Daniel trusts him.

A blade shorter than his own forearm; and yet, it changes everything.

David sets the knife down on the desk adjacent to the bed and smiles. This is good. Daniel trusts him. Daniel trusts him enough to _arm_ him. It gives David a warm and fuzzy sort of feeling.

He isn't just a prisoner.

Daniel really cares about him.

Still smiling, David crawls back under the covers and snuggles up to his... captor?

_Captain._

That's when David realises that he may or may not be a little bit in love with Daniel.

***

When he wakes up, the bed is empty. The rest of the room is, too. It isn't an entirely pleasant thing to wake up to after several nights of waking with Daniel beside him, or nearby at the very least, but he brushes it off. Daniel probably just decided he wants another bath before they leave.

Wait, are they staying another night?

David frowns. He can't remember.

Ah well, it hardly matters. If they are, they are, and if they're not, they're not.

He remembers the gift Daniel gave him yesterday evening. The dagger. The thought of it brings a smile to his lips. He's trusted. He's cared about, he's-

The smile drops and quickly turns into a frown as David reaches for the dagger, or _tries_  to. His arm catches though, and... doesn't reach? He sits up properly reaches out again, frustrated, but his arm doesn't _move._

He blinks his eyes hard a few times to clear the fuzz of lingering sleepiness in order to figure out _why_  his arm isn't moving.

It takes a moment for him to realise that his arms and bound tightly behind his back.

Frustration quickly turns to panic.

"Danny?" he calls. Except it comes out as more of a shriek. "Daniel? Are you there?"

He jumps off the bed and - thank God, his ankles aren't tied, just his hands - makes his way to the bathroom, barging the door open with his shoulder.

"Daniel?"

Nothing. The bathroom is empty.

The panic increases.

David goes to the window instead, wriggling his hands to try and loosen the ropes around his wrists, and looks out. The sun is high in the sky. It's surely afternoon already.

_How long was he asleep?_

He can see the whole town from the room's balcony. The ocean sparkles beautifully, the docked boats bobbing lazily like seals in the water. And- oh, God. That's Daniel's ship, that's _Enchantment,_  still docked in the harbour, but it looks like the crew is boarding and readying to leave.

Without him.

_Oh no._

_This_  can't be good.

Whoever tied him up - _don't be Daniel, don't be Daniel, please don't be Daniel_  - didn't do a great job of it. The knots are sloppy at best, not tied tightly enough to stop him from working his hands free. As soon as he works them loose, David dresses in his clothes which are still folded on the chair, grabs the dagger from the desk and runs from the room.

He tries not to think too hard about _why_  he was tied up.

_Daniel was planning on leaving him behind._

David shakes the thought and sprints out of the boarding house as fast as he can. _Daniel would never do such a thing._ Down the hill. _Daniel cares about him._  He runs sraight to the harbour, along the pier where Enchantment is docked. Catches sight of blonde hair and bright white clothes, even brighter in the strong sunlight.

_Daniel._

He's talking to a couple of crew members, and Jen, his self-appointed first mate. He's facing the ship, the ocean. His back to David.

"What's going _on?"_ David demands, and Daniel freezes.

"Fuck."

"Yeah, 'fuck' is right." David cringes even as the curse word leaves his mouth. It sounds so forced and _wrong._  "What's happening? Why was I _tied up?_ Daniel, please explain this!"

Daniel doesn't turn. He stays perfectly still. David hears him exchange a hushed word with Jen. He isn't entirely sure what they're saying, but he hears enough to get the picture.

_"I thought you said you drugged him?"_

_"I_ did  _drug him! It wasn't supposed to wear off until late evening!"_

"You _drugged_  me? It _was_  you. You're the one who tied me up. You were... you were going to..."

_Daniel's a pirate._

_David should have expected this._

Daniel spins around slowly, and winces when he sees the tears already running down David's face. "David, I swear to God, it's for the best. I would never want to-"

"Never want to _what?_ Abandon me on an unfamiliar island?"  
David lets out a pained laugh. "Well, it _kind of looks like_  that was _exactly_ what you were planning on doing!"

Jen pats Daniel's shoulder. "This one's on you," she mutters, and drags the other crew members on-board the ship.

"Jen, don't- David, please, you have to see reason here. There's no way I could seriously even _consider_  taking you with me if-"

 _"Are you that fucking dense?"_ David yells. He knows he probably shouldn't be yelling and cursing at Daniel - it could get him killed in seconds - but somehow, he's past the point of caring.  _Plus, Daniel wouldn't hurt him, would he?_ "Are you really _that_ stupid? I _want_  to be with you, you idiot!"

 _Maybe Daniel_ would  _hurt him. He seems perfectly fine leaving him behind as if he means nothing to him at all. What difference does it make?_

Daniel opens his mouth to speak, but David isn't finished.

"How _could_  you? How could you just leave me here?"  
David's voice breaks as more tears spill down his cheeks. "I thought you cared about me!"

 _"I do!_ That's the fucking problem!" Daniel shouts. It's loud and angry and enough to stun David into silence. Daniel covers his eyes with one hand. He lowers his voice. "That's the _problem._ I didn't know what to do! I've been so _awful_  to you. You should _hate_ me! But you're so good and so ready to forgive me no matter how much I fuck up. I can't put you through this. You don't _deserve_ this. You don't deserve _me._  Or, I don't deserve you. That's- that isn't the point! I just- I'm- I don't know what I should do for the best. That's all I want for you, David! I only want the best for you!"

_"So you decided to abandon me on some stupid island?"_

"David! I- you shouldn't be around me! You shouldn't _want_  to be around me!"

"But I _do!"_  David sobs.

"Oh, David," Daniel says softly. He looks sad. "I didn't want to hurt you, darling, I wanted to make things better." He pauses. The absolutely hopeless expression he wears breaks David's heart. "But I understand now - I _can't_  make things better. Because no matter what I do now, I can't change what I _did."_

"You can't make things better because I want to be with you! There _is_ nothing better than that! Don't leave me behind!"

There's a long pause, and then Daniel groans and squeezes his eyes shut. "I'm sorry."

David hesitates. "You... are?"

"I am. I'm _so_  sorry. _God,_  I'm such a fool."

"No you're not." David bites his lip. "Well, trying to leave me behind was a little bit stupid."

"I know, I... I'm sorry. Really, truly, I am. It was a _terrible_  idea. I was- I was scared. Scared of what would happen if your father paid the ransom. Scared of what would happen if he didn't. Scared of losing you - but scared of you staying. Scared of myself, even."

David laughs quietly through his tears. "I didn't know that pirates could get scared."

"Everyone gets scared, David. Even pirates. Guess I'm not as dauntless as everybody thinks, huh?"

"I don't care what other people think. You're the bravest person I know."

Daniel closes the distance between them. He smiles and reaches a hand up to wipe away David's tears. "Well, you are very foolish," he says lovingly, and David smiles back.  
God, he shouldn't cave so easily, he should be _mad,_ but David missed that gentle tone, and it stirs butterflies in his stomach.

"You'll take me with you, won't you?"

"You won't take no for an answer, will you?"

David finds himself laughing, and it isn't long before Daniel is too.  
Not for long, though, for after a second Daniel's gaze fixes on a point over David's shoulder. The pirate curses quietly under his breath and makes a vaguely panicked sort of whimper.

"Danny? What's the matter?" David asks, turning to glance over his shoulder to see what captured Daniel's attention, but before he can fully turn, Daniel grabs his face and forces it back towards him.

"Don't look," Daniel commands. His eyes are afraid, and David feels himself start to panic all over again. What the heck is behind him that's so terrifying? "No, no, Davey, don't freak out. Just get behind me. Just-"

 _"Dauntless Danny,"_  someone says, several feet behind David. It takes everything in his power to not turn around. He keeps his eyes fixed on Daniel's, hardly daring to breathe.

"Fuck," says Daniel, and he whips his pistol out, points it over David's shoulder. "Dirty Kevin. Nice to see you."

"Who's this?" the person - _Dirty Kevin?_  - asks. David freezes, still not daring to turn.

"That doesn't concern you," Daniel says coolly. "David, darling, I'm going to need you to step behind me now, okay?"

David nods but whimpers as he hears a gun click behind him.  
"Don't fucking move."

He freezes and looks desperately at Daniel, frantically trying to figure out what to do. Daniel looks _angry._

"You don't _speak_  to him like that, _Kevin,"_  Daniel growls. _"Don't._ One step closer and I'll blow your brains out."

"You try anything, Danny, and I shoot you both. What the hell are you doing out here?"

"We're not looking for trouble. Just came here to pawn off some booty. It's no concern of yours."

"Alright. Drop the gun."

Daniel closes his eyes and sighs. After a second he drops his pistol and raises his hands above his head. "Don't shoot, Kev."

"How much money you got?" Kevin asks, and Daniel laughs.

"Really? You'd loot your own captain?"

_...Captain?_

With wide eyes, David slowly spins around to face Kevin. He has a rough, battered sort of look, not like Daniel, who somehow manages to seem polished and proper, even at the worst of times. He _looks_  like a pirate, more so than Daniel, anyhow. He wears brown leather boots and a long, worn red coat. A cutlass hangs from his belt, and a musket on the other side.

In his hand is a pistol, which is pointed straight at David.

David's mind tells him to keep quiet, but his curiosity gets the better of him.  
"He's your captain?" David asks Kevin, against his better judgement. He feels Daniel grab his arm from behind, a signal to shut his mouth.

"He _was,"_ Kevin spits, "until he fucked me over. Threw me overboard!"

Daniel scoffs. "You tried to _kill_  me! Never was a fan of mutiny, myself; of course I threw you overboard! What the hell did you expect?"

"You should've shot me! And you would've, if you weren't a _damn coward!"_

"I'm not the coward here," Daniel responds, and David can hear the smirk in his voice without even looking. "If I had wanted to shoot you, I would have done just that."

Kevin shakes his head. "Well, you should have. Who's laughing now, Danny? I'm gonna kill you and take your whole fucking ship."

"Do it! I bet you won't. You don't have the guts to pull that trigger. You'd never kill your-"

_Bang._

Kevin's pistol drops to the floor with a crash. He looks _terrified._  
"Fuck," he says. "Shit, Danny, I didn't mean to- you were- I wasn't gonna-"

Daniel doesn't say anything, and for a moment, David wonders what's going on.

_Did Kevin just shoot Daniel?_

Oh, God.

_Is Daniel dead?_

He's about to turn back to Daniel to see if he's alright.

And then his mind registers the pain.

He looks down at his shirt, frowning when he sees crimson liquid blooming against white cotton.

"You didn't. You _didn't,"_ he hears Daniel say. Daniel's hand is still gripping his arm, but his voice sounds distant, like he's several metres away. David frowns. That doesn't make sense. The hand holding onto his arm releases and Daniel shouts something, David isn't sure what. He shouts something else, screams. _"I'm going to fucking kill you!"_

"What's- happening?" David tries, but his words don't come out right.

Suddenly he stops feeling his legs and stumbles sideways.

The last thing he hears is Daniel screaming his name before he falls over the side of the pier.

***

It's quiet now, or loud, it's hard to tell. Loud, maybe?

Completely silent.

But the pressure in his ears is deafening, somehow.

It doesn't really matter either way.

It isn't cold, not really. The water wraps around him like loving arms.

Comforting.

 _It's okay,_  the water says, or maybe his mind, it's hard to tell, _this is okay._

Other than the stinging salt and the dull ache of the wound, nothing hurts.

Actually, he doesn't really feel anything.

Peaceful.

Deafening silence, weightless pressure. It's soothing.

 _This seems like a nice way to die,_  David thinks.

And then he inhales and his lungs burn.

_What's happening? Why can't he breathe?_

Panic sets in and his arms thrash weakly, but it's no use. He needs to _breathe,_ but he _can't._

He's going to die.

_He's going to die._

As the world fades out, David sees something, _someone,_  in front of him. Bright white, beautiful, slipping out of focus as his body screams.

_An angel._

David smiles, or tries to. The angel will take care of him, he knows it.

The angel's arms wrap around him. Strong, familiar arms. They drag him up, up, up, through the water, towards the light.

 _Is this what dying feels like?_ he wonders.

It isn't so bad. Not really.

***

David breathes.

He isn't sure how, or why, or where he is, but he's breathing, and he's alive, and he's okay.

Well, he isn't entirely okay - but he's alive, and that's the main thing.

After he starts breathing again he chokes on the water in his lungs and starts coughing. He sits up as best he can and he throws up on the pier.

_On the pier._

He's not dead.

David is vaguely aware of somebody speaking to him, but the world is fading out again. It's okay, though. He's breathing.

***

When he comes to, David is in his bed. Well, Daniel's bed. It's been a couple of nights since he slept here, and it's warm and familiar in the most comforting way. He isn't entirely sure what happened, and his whole body is aching, but he's alive.

"David, thank God you're okay!"

David groans at the sudden noise and looks to his side. "Da...niel?"

Daniel is kneeling beside the bed, one hand holding David's. He gets up and sits down on edge of the bed. "How do you feel?" he asks, voice calm.

"I don't-"  
Then everything comes rushing back to him, and David panics. "Did I- did someone shoot me?"

"Mhm. You're going to be fine, though. I fished the bullet out and stitched you up."

"Oh. I- I thought I was going to drown." Neither of them miss the weakness to David's voice.

"I did too."

David tries to sit up but he collapses back down immediately when white hot pain sears through his shoulder, arm and chest. "Ouch."

"Ah, yeah, you might not want to move," Daniel chuckles. "You're going to have to rest for a couple of days at the very least. Probably a few weeks. We're going to get away from the Scarmeny Chain and anchor out at sea, stay put for a little while."

"Okay."

Daniel groans. "God, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have tried to leave you at Pilwich. I shouldn't have kidnapped you in the first place, but- _God,_ I am an idiot."

"You're not an idiot. It's okay."

"It's _not_  okay! Look at you, David. You took a bullet to the shoulder and you almost drowned, all because of me. You shouldn't be on this damn ship in the first place."

"I want to be."

"I know. But I can't imagine why." Daniel sighs. "No more of this, now. We're done with this. I'm taking you home."

David's breath catches in his throat. "I can tell you why."

"Hm?"

"Why I want to be here. I'll tell you. It's _you,_ Daniel. You- you're- you're nice to me, and you look after me and..."  
David takes a deep breath. "And I think I'm in love with you."

An uncomfortable silence falls over the room. After a few minutes pass, Daniel exhales loudly.

"Don't. Don't say that."

"Why not?" David demands. "It's the truth. And I know you like me. Why do you keep pretending you don't? I've seen how you look at me. I know you want to kiss me. I know you want to touch me-"

 _"Shut up!"_  Daniel shouts, then immediately drops his voice. "Shut up and get some rest."  
He stands up and makes for the door.

"No no no Danny don't leave! Please, stay. I'm sorry if I was too forward, I just- I just want to talk."

"Well, I don't," Daniel mutters, but he sits back down.

"Thank you."

Another moment of silence passes by, but it isn't as uncomfortable this time.

"You don't want to be here," Daniel says. "Not really. You're not here of your own free will. You wouldn't _choose_  to be here. I care about you, truly, I do. But I can't kiss you, I can't touch you, not like that, not again. I can't take advantage of you. Don't you get that?"

David shakes his head urgently. It hurts, so he stops. "You wouldn't be taking advantage of me. I  _want_ it. I want _you!"_

"No you _don't!"_  Daniel growls. "You don't _know_  me. I'm _dangerous,_ David. You think you want me but you don't."

"I do."

"You _don't."_

"Do."

"Would you just shut up?"  
Daniel's tone isn't even remotely aggressive anymore. He sounds more amused, if slightly exasperated, and it makes David laugh.

"Danny. I _want_  you. Really, I do. I, uh..." he begins, and bites his lip, suddenly nervous. "I have something to tell you." He takes a breath and ducks his head, embarrassed. "I- I've been having... _thoughts._ Impure thoughts. And dreams, too. About you. Doing such sinful things to me. And- and I _want_  you to."

Daniel chokes and flushes. "Excuse me- _what?"_

"I- Daniel I want you to make love to me," David says as quickly as he can, cheeks burning. "Please."

"David, are you _crazy?_  Fuck, you're delirious, you're- shit, is it hot in here? Fuck. Fuck, okay, um- what- _what?_ David, where the hell is this coming from?"

David blushes and lowers his eyes. "I know it probably seems rather sudden, but I- I almost _died_  today. I had to tell you! I just- I wanted to tell you how I feel."

"Okay. Okay." Daniel sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Okay. Uh, I'm- I'm gonna need a minute."

He paces for a moment. When he returns to the side of the bed, David feels the cool glass of a bottle pressing against his lips.

"Drink," Daniel says, and David obliges.  
It burns his throat and he coughs and splutters.

"What the heck is this?" he gasps, his eyes watering.

"Whiskey. It'll do you good. Ease the pain a little. Then you should try and sleep some more."

"Danny-"

"That's an order."

"But-"

"God _damn it,_  David, you just got shot! And then almost drowned, I- I could have lost you! You need to-"  
Daniel groans. "Please. I need you to rest."

"I'm sorry."

"What? No, you don't- God, David, _I'm_  sorry. I'm so bad for you."

"No you're not. I _love_  you."

Daniel looks pained. "Darling, please, don't do that. I'm not the kind of man you want to fall in love with."

"I don't care," David whispers.

"Just- yell if you need anything."

"Daniel, please, don't go. I'm sorry if I upset you."

"You didn't upset me, David. I just- I didn't realise you felt that way, and that makes it a lot more- you know what? Forget it. We can talk about this another time." Daniel sighs and shakes his head. "Just try and rest for me, darling. I'm going to need you to get better nice and fast, okay?"

David doesn't _want_  to talk about it another time, he wants to talk about it _now._  But he is feeling pretty drowsy, so after a second he nods and lets his eyes close.

"Good boy. You get some sleep."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (miss skullnick voice) hE LEFT ME AT THE DOCK 
> 
> ,,sorry
> 
> yeah as for this fic man idk,,, idk where it's going but like. there's badly written smut in like 2 chapters if that's what ur into 
> 
> aND THEN JASPER COMES INTO IT AND THEN GWEN AND


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY FRIDAY Y'ALL!!
> 
> thank you so much to everybody who has read and left kudos or comments so far, i rlly appreciate it!

The worst thing about being injured is the goddamn _boredom._

Okay, it's also very painful, yeah, but it's mostly just _boring._ He isn't allowed to get up out of bed, and Daniel is avoiding him, he's sure of it. It's lonely and boring and so frustrating that he feels like crying.

In the end, David goes back to sleep. It isn't until late evening that he wakes up again. Daniel hasn't come to see him ever since David confessed his feelings earlier in the day.

And he feels like an _idiot._  He shouldn't have opened up like that. Daniel obviously doesn't feel the same way. He was so ready to leave David behind, after all.

_He apologised for that. It was a mistake._

David tries to sit up, but a shooting pain across his shoulder forces him down again. He groans in frustration, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes.

He tries again ten minutes later.

"No no no no _what are you doing?_ You're going to open the wound again, stop!"

David glances up at the doorway and flops back down onto the bed. "Sorry."

"David, you have to _rest."_  Daniel sighs and joins him on the bed. He sits for a moment, lost in thought, before speaking again. "How are you feeling?"

 _"Bored._  It doesn't hurt that much, though."

"Good, good. It doesn't look too bad, either... hopefully it will heal fast."

"But I hate being stuck in bed."

"I know. Just be patient, darling." Daniel sighs again and folds his arms. He seems agitated. He wants to talk about something, David realises, but seems reluctant somehow.

"What is it?" David asks quietly after a moment.

"Hm?"

"I know there's something on your mind. What's bothering you?"

Daniel frowns and chews on his lip anxiously. It isn't like him to seem so uptight and stressed out, and it makes David feel uneasy.

Eventually Daniel just sighs. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing. What's going on?"

"You're hurt. I don't want to worry you."

"Daniel. Please."

He sighs again. "Alright. There's a ship on the horizon. British, we think. Royal Navy. Might be trouble. We were planning to stay out here for a while, but if it gets any closer, we're going to have to move."

David frowns slightly. "I don't see what the problem is," he says.

"Well, you see, if we _do_ have to run - though hopefully it won't come to that..."  
He pauses and meets David's eyes. "We're going to have to make a decision. About... where we want to go. We can keep our current course, or turn around. To take you home."

Oh.

_Oh._

"I want to go with you," David says. "Daniel, l-"

"I want you to think about it very carefully. We should have a couple of days before we have to move. If it comes to that, of course. Just... think about it."

***

David goes to sleep sad. It's the first time he's slept alone in days.

***

He isn't alone when he wakes up. Daniel is next to David, stroking his hair gently. It can't yet be daytime; some time after midnight, probably. They're not as close as he would have liked, but he missed the contact, and he's grateful for it.

 _"I love you I love you I love you,"_  David whispers, still half asleep. He just _needs_ to say it.

Daniel makes an exasperated noise, somewhere between a laugh and a sigh. "You're impossible. Go back to sleep."

He doesn't want to go back to sleep, but he's tired, and his eyes are already slowly closing. "Hold me?" he asks softly, trying to move closer to Daniel but wincing when the movement sends a sharp pain to his bullet wound.

"...Okay."

With Daniel's arms wrapped around him, David falls asleep once again.

***

The next day is much the same. Lying in bed with no company, for the most part. It's frustrating.

Mid afternoon, Daniel comes to check on him.

"It's healing remarkably fast," he says, applying ointment to the wound and wrapping some sort of bandage around David's chest and shoulder. "I've never seen anything like it. No infection, the stitches are holding fine... you're very lucky."

"Gosh, that's a relief. Hey, where did you learn how to treat a bullet wound?"

Daniel laughs. "Well, I suppose I picked it up as I went along. I've had to treat many of my own."  
He pulls a sleeve back and points to a scar on his forearm. "This one was only a graze, but it hurt like a bitch. Couldn't use a sword for weeks. Honestly I was lucky the bullet didn't go straight through my arm."

David reaches a hand up to brush over the fading scar. He notices something else on Daniel's wrist that he hasn't seen before and traces it with his finger. Another scar. Not a bullet wound. A bold, deliberate letter.

'P'.

Pirate.

"They branded you?" he whispers, horrified.

"Ah. The one time I got caught. Not one of my fondest memories."

"What _happened?"_

"Long story short, we were taking a job for somebody, but they double crossed us. Got us locked up. They strapped me down and burned this damned thing onto my arm." Daniel grins. "That _also_  hurt like a bitch."

"Daniel, that's _awful."_

The captain just shrugs. "It isn't a big deal. It could have been worse. They were going to kill me, or keep me locked up forever, and I escaped, so..."

They settle into a comfortable silence, David laying back to think about Daniel's story. He can't imagine being _branded._ The thought of the unbearable pain - and then carrying the mark for the rest of your life - it's enough to make him feel a little sick.

"Hey, you okay?" Daniel asks after a little while. "You look kinda..."

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Just... thinking." David looks up at Daniel and smiles slightly. "Any news on that British ship?"

"No, not yet. We're going to stay put for a little while, and see how it goes. If we're lucky, it shouldn't be a problem."

He nods slowly. "Okay. Anyway, I was meaning to ask, what happened after I got shot? I hardly remember anything besides almost drowning, and then waking up here."

"Well, you fell in the water, I dragged you out. Kevin was really apologetic. I punched him."

"Oh, God, you didn't."

"I did. And then I threw him in the harbour. I didn't kill him, though, so there's that!"

"Is he okay?"

"Are _you_ okay?"

"...Yeah?"

Daniel smiles. "That's all that matters." He pauses, and then grins. "Yeah, he's probably fine."

***

The next morning, David is woken up by a booming sort of noise, and loud swearing from above deck.

_Thunder?_

He stumbles out of bed, eyes still blurred from sleep. Despite his shoulder screaming at him to _lie the hell back down,_ he makes his way up the stairs to try and figure out what in the _world_  is going on.

He's met by a dreadfully strong gust of wind, carrying with it a sheet of icy rain which stings his skin.

The ship is in a state of panic, crew members desperately trying to control the sails as the wind twists them out of control, tugging ropes and screaming profanities.  
Daniel is at the helm, pulling impatiently at the wheel.

"We have to _go!"_  he shouts, and gestures wildly with one arm. "If that ship gets closer, we won't even know about it! We can't see a thing in this damn fog!"

"We can't _navigate,_  either, Captain," Jen says calmly, her voice barely just audible over the screams of the wind. "It's too dangerous. We could crash into rocks or worse. Do you want to get shipwrecked?"

"Of _course_ not, but we can't stay here! We'll be sitting ducks!"

David makes his way up to them, his arms over his face to shield himself from the biting rain. His shoulder burns but he pushes forwards.  
"What's going on?" he asks, voice raised against the howling wind which whips his words away.

"David!" Daniel shouts, grimacing. His hair and skin and clothes are drenched. "Go back to bed! You'll tear your wound open!"

He grabs David by the arm and leads him back down despite his protests.  
"Stay down here! I don't want you getting hurt."

"What's happening?"

"This storm - God, it came out of nowhere, it hit us some time in the night, we- we can't stay anchored, we're so vulnerable out here. Especially with a Royal Navy ship nearby. We're at great risk. But we can't _move_ because the rain and fog is so damn _heavy."_

David reaches up to absent-mindedly flick at Daniel's hair; it's darkened by how soaked it is and it is hanging down into his face.  
"We'll be fine," David says carefully. "I'm sure we will. We can just... wait for the storm to pass! Stay put, like you said."

"That was _before._ Now... we wouldn't be able to see any ships that approach. We're an easy target for other pirates, and - _fuck,_  if the British ship gets closer..."  
Daniel groans and places a hand over his eyes. "We're doomed."

"We're not _doomed."_

"We are _so_ doomed. Fuck, this wouldn't be happening if we'd stayed in Port Pilwich a little longer. This wouldn't be happening if I hadn't been such a _fucking idiot._  I should never have tried to leave you behind like that. God, David, I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault! I- I know you were trying to protect me, it wasn't-"

"I should never have kidnapped you." Daniel lets out a noise akin to a growl. _"God,_  you're screwing _everything_  up! This is _your_  fault!"

David staggers backwards a few steps, his eyes wide. "What? What did _I_ do? I didn't ask to be kidnapped!"

"That's the _problem!"_  Daniel yells. "Do you have any idea how _guilty_ I feel? And you won't let me fix it, you won't let me take you back home, and now I have to deal with the fact that I stole you away from your life!"

 _"You're wrong!"_  David shouts, tears streaming down his face. _When did he start crying?_  "I wasn't happy with my life! You're the best thing that ever happened to me!"

"I _hurt_  you! I threatened you and took advantage of you and  _why don't you hate me?_  That would make things so much fucking easier!"

The ship lurches dangerously to one side and David stumbles forwards again. Straight into Daniel's arms. He almost falls, but Daniel catches him and holds him up.

 _"I'm sorry!"_  David sobs. "I'm sorry! I've _tried_ to hate you but I just- I just can't! I _love-"_

He's cut off by Daniel slamming their lips together.

_Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck._

He melts into the kiss, letting his entire body go limp, letting Daniel take control of him and _God he wants it._  It's aggressive and violent and _wonderful_ and he _wants_ it.

 _"Fuck,"_  Daniel says after pulling away. "Shit. David, I'm sorry, I didn't-"

David grabs his face and brings their lips together again. Their bodies press flush, and although they're cold and drenched from the rain, a new and passionate kind of heat warms them up.

After a minute Daniel pushes him away. "David, I can't-"

 _"Please,"_  David whimpers, screwing his eyes shut. He already misses the feeling of Daniel's lips on his, _he needs it._

"God, I've been wanting to kiss you ever since I first set eyes on you," Daniel breathes. He looks so conflicted.

"Then _do it!"_

"I can't, it- it isn't fair."

_"Kiss me!"_

"I... are you sure?"

David responds by kissing him again. It's less aggressive this time. Slow and gentle and soft and passionate, and time seems to stand still as Daniel moans against his lips.  
Seconds pass before they're on the bed and Daniel's pinning him down and placing soft kisses all over his face and neck and chest and - _shit, where did his shirt go?_ Ah well, it hardly matters anyway. All he can think of is Daniel pressing his sweet little kisses all over his neck and-

"Danny, that tickles!" he squeaks, trying unsuccessfully to suppress a giggle. The soft kisses turn to light nips and his giggles turn into small moans as he feels Daniel grin against his throat.  
After a moment, Daniel pulls back and smiles at him.

"Gosh, Davey, you're so pretty," he says. "Such a good boy. You're so precious."

David lets out an uncontrollable whine at all the compliments before covering his face with his hands, embarrassed.

"No no no, let me see you. You are so _cute_ when you're flustered."

Reluctantly, David lowers his hands and meets Daniel's eyes.

"Good boy," Daniel whispers, tracing one hand up and down David's bare chest. "You're always so good. So, so good. I'm sorry for shouting at you, love. I didn't mean those things I said. I didn't mean it, this isn't your fault. I shouldn't have snapped. That wasn't fair."

"Da- Daniel, it's okay, I know you didn't mean it. I'm sorry too, for- for causing complications and-"

 _"Hey._ Don't say that. It isn't true. You're so perfect, darling. An angel."

David giggles again as Daniel kisses his neck tenderly. "We're going to get the bed wet," he points out, pulling at Daniel's dripping shirt.

"Yes, that's- _shit,_  fuck, we still need to figure out what to do about this damn storm. God _damn_  it." Daniel sits up abruptly, and David immediately misses being kissed, and wants the contact back; he isn't sure how he'll ever cope again without Daniel touching him.

"Daniel. Don't worry about that now."

"Actually, I _have_  to worry about it now! We can't see a damn thing, so we can't move - but we can't _stay._  I should go back up there and help. God, what kind of captain _am_  I? This is terrible."

"That isn't-"

"You stay here," Daniel commands, cutting him off. "Don't move, I don't want you opening that wound again. I'll be back soon."

As Daniel leaves the room, David tries shouting after him, begging him to stay - but his protests are disregarded and he's left cold and wet and alone.

David sighs, frustrated. _Finally_  he got taste of what he's wanted for so long, and now Daniel's gone again.

And David's alone. Again.

***

It's evening when Daniel returns. David's clothes are hardly even damp now, but Daniel is still soaked from being up on the deck in the rain. He looks pretty pleased though, so David takes that as a good sign.

"We're moving!" Daniel announces, and strips his wet shirt off, grabbing a towel from the dresser and attempting to dry his hair. "Not very fast, mind you, but it's a start. The fog is lifting. Our visibility is still limited at best, but we're on the move."

David smiles. "That's great news! Where are we going?"

"...Ah."

His smile quickly shifts to a frown. "That sounds bad."

"Yes, well..."  
Daniel trails off and waves a hand dismissively. "It hardly matters. We'll figure something out."

"What do you mean? What's going on?"

"It's hard to tell exactly where we're going. We don't even have a course, so we're just kind of... drifting?"

"That... doesn't sound good?"

"Eh. It'll be fine. Probably." After drying off and finding some clean clothes, Daniel settles on the bed beside him. "Anyway, it'll all work itself out in the end. How has your day been?"

_"Boring."_

"Well, don't go and get yourself shot next time. Then you won't have to lie in bed all day."

"Well, I wouldn't have gotten shot if you hadn't tried to leave me behind."

Daniel winces. "Not fair."

"It is fair!" David responds with a small laugh. "It's the honest truth."

"It _is_ fair, you're right. It's so fair that it isn't fair. _God,_ it really is my fault that you're hurt, isn't it?"

"No, come on, I was just teasing! You didn't pull the trigger, Daniel. It was _not_ your fault."

Covering his face with his hands, Daniel groans. He lies back onto the soft pillows and speaks through his fingers, his voice muffled. "Okay. But it was a little bit my fault."

"No! Don't blame yourself, please. It doesn't even hurt that much anymore." He pauses, and then pokes Daniel's side. "Hey. So, uh... you left me kinda instantaneously earlier."

Daniel drops his arms to his sides and pulls a face. "That sure is a big word."

 _"Daniel,"_  David whines, poking again. "Please."

"Please _what?"_

"I don't know. Kiss me, hold me, touch me, do _something."_

"It was a bad idea," Daniel says, and sighs. "A really bad idea. Come on, Davey, we both know I shouldn't have done that."

 _"What?_ Are you serious? I thought you-"

_"David."_

"But we both-"

"Hush."

"But-"

 _"Damn it,_ David!" Daniel shouts, and then lowers his voice. "Can't you take no for an answer? I messed up today, but it won't happen again. It _can't."_

"Why _not?_ I want it to!"

"Because _I'm not a good person._ I'm dangerous, darling. I'm just not good for you. Just be quiet. I don't want to argue anymore."

"Daniel-"

"I said _be quiet."_

David eventually lowers his eyes and rolls over onto his side. He feels _horrible._  Cold and empty and _bad._  Finally things were good, and... now? Now Daniel won't even talk to him properly.  
"I was just going to say sorry," David whispers, and he hears Daniel's breath catch slightly.

This is what it feels like to have your heart broken, David thinks. For the first time in two nights he doesn't go to sleep alone; and yet he feels more alone than ever.

***

The next few days are tense. The storm finally clears and they're able to set sail properly, though they have no real destination planned.

After a long time spent resting, Daniel removes David's stitches. The wound has healed remarkably well, and he's finally able to go and lie on the deck again. It reminds him of the first couple of days he spent on the ship. He feels trapped again. Sure, he _wants_  to be here, but now Daniel is being so cold and stand-offish and he doesn't know _why._

At night Daniel still holds him close, and he treasures those precious moments, but during the day, his affection is unforthcoming. It's _frustrating._  David just wants to hold him again.  
If Daniel really doesn't want him, that's a decision he can respect, of course - he just doesn't understand _why._  Before, it felt like they both felt the same way, and _Daniel_ kissed _him._ Daniel was the one who initiated it.

Daniel _kissed_ him.

The memory makes him feel a little giddy. Daniel's lips and teeth on his neck. Daniel stroking his chest. Daniel showering him with praise and compliments.

_Daniel, Daniel, Daniel._

It's all David can think about, and it's driving him _mad._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...i'm sORRY :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wassup cowboys it's friday again huh
> 
> i have nothing to say except i promised you badly written smut and now i will deliver

It's early morning. Quiet. David's soft breathing is the only sound aside from the gentle lapping of waves and creaking of wood. This is Daniel's favourite place to be, he thinks. Lying in bed with his angel, the one person he's fallen head over heels for.

He strokes David's hair gently, biting back tears. _God,_  this is so bad. Daniel doesn't _cry._  He doesn't feel emotions as intense as these, not ever.

David is messing with his head and he _hates_  it.

And in a way, he craves it.

The affection, the softness, the feeling of no longer being alone. The feeling of actually _feeling._  It's unusual.

His mind wanders back to the kisses they shared. It was so special. Thinking about that makes him feel bitter.

Maybe Kevin was right. Maybe he is a coward.

Why else would he keep pushing David away?

 _I'm not good for him,_  he reminds himself. _I have to protect him._

But no matter what he does to protect his beautiful angel, Daniel still dragged him from heaven and mutilated his wings.

_He doesn't really want to be here. He just can't see any other option._

David is so good. So much better than him.

And that's exactly why Daniel needs him.

That's exactly why he can't have him.

In the end, he does cry. He has to leave the room, of course. He can't risk David waking up and seeing him so emotional and overwrought. But once he's up on the deck, Daniel sobs, unrestrained, until he can't cry another tear.

***

_It's nice here, David thinks. The sun is bright and the grass is green and he isn't alone. Daniel is here too, lying in the soft grass by his side. They watch the clouds float by, white and fluffy and magical in the blue blue sky. They don't need words. They have each other. It feels so right, lying side by side, fingers intertwined._

_After a little while, Daniel drags him to his feet. "Come on," Daniel says. "Let's go home."_

_David doesn't know where home is, but he's with Daniel, and that's enough. Maybe Daniel_ is _home._

_And David's okay with that._

_But suddenly the ground gives way under his feet and he's falling, falling- fuck he's falling and all he can think is 'shit shit shit I'm gonna die'-_

David blinks his eyes open as he slips off the side of the bed and crashes to the floor with a loud _thump._

Aw, dang it.

"David? What... are you doing on the floor?"

_Double dang it._

He scrambles to his feet, head spinning. God, his head _hurts,_ his whole body feels bad, actually. He tries to take a step forwards but his legs give way and he collapses onto the floor once again in a tangled heap. "Uh, I'm fine!" he says, and grins awkwardly, legs sticking in the air. _Shit shit shit this is embarrassing._

Daniel smirks at him from the doorway, quirking an eyebrow in amusement. "If you insist. That still doesn't answer my question, though."

"The- floor, oh, the floor. I, uh- I was there for... sensible reasons. I'm here again, on the floor, because, uh, it was comfortable?"

_Fuck. Shit._

"You're a terrible liar. Would you like me to give you a minute to think of an excuse?"

"Um, yes, I- I- I'm- I'm on the floor," David stammers pathetically, cringing under Daniel's amused gaze. _God damn it._

"Mm. I can see that."

"Yeah, uh, I- actually there's a completely reasonable expl- I fell out of bed."

Daniel starts laughing and comes over to help him up and set him back down on the bed. For a moment David worries that there's something wrong. Daniel looks... _sad_ somehow, and it's a little worrying. His thoughts are soon interrupted though by Daniel brushing his cheek gently with the back of one hand.  
"Here. Are you alright? You didn't hurt yourself, did you? You'd better not have reopened your wound."

David nods and then shakes his head. "No, no, I'm fine. Really. I just... yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

They sit side by side for a little while, Daniel watching him intensely.

"You're so pretty, David."

David turns to face him, suddenly very very aware of how close their faces are. His eyes find Daniel's lips. Flick up to his eyes. Drag back down to his lips again.

_Oh, how easy it would be to close the distance between them and kiss him right now._

"David..." Daniel speaks, his tone low and warning. David doesn't care. He launches himself forward and slams his lips into Daniel's.

As David straddles his lap, Daniel gives a startled gasp and tries to pull away, but David grabs his arms and meets his eyes.

"Please," David begs imploringly. "Please please please please please, just let me."

Daniel opens his mouth to protest but it's cut short by David kissing him again. It isn't as sudden or aggressive this time. It's slow and soft and gentle, and Daniel melts into it, letting the tension fall away.

"This isn't so bad, is it?" David asks after breaking the kiss.

"It isn't _bad,"_ Daniel answers, panting slightly. _"God,_  no, it's not bad. But it isn't right. I can't-"

 _"Why_  not? I _want_ you to! And I know you want it too!"

"Of course I want it! But David, you have to understand, it would be wrong for me to even-"

"Stop trying to protect me! I want you!"  
David punctuates his sentence by grinding down into Daniel's lap as if to prove his point.

Daniel moans at the contact but shakes his head. "You don't know what you want! You're not thinking straight!"

"I'm _not_  thinking straight! I want you to take me!"

In a second Daniel is pinning him to the bed, holding his wrists above his head. "Are you _sure?"_  he growls, and David whimpers and nods. "I asked you a _question,_  David."

"I'm sure! I'm sure, Danny, please, please please please-"

"Are you _positive?_  Because once I-"

 _"Daniel,"_  David whines, wiggling his hips desperately. "Please just fuck me!"

At this, Daniel finally breaks. He shoves two fingers into David's mouth without warning.  
"Suck," he commands, and David complies. "I'm going to make you _scream."_

_Oh, God._

David whimpers around the fingers in his mouth, electricity coursing through his veins from anticipation. He doesn't have to wait long, though, because after a moment Daniel withdraws his fingers. He strips David's clothes off and easily flips him onto his hands and knees before burying two fingers in his ass.  
David gasps and lets out a loud, lewd moan. Fuck, it _hurts,_ but soon the pleasure is almost overwhelming; Daniel has one arm wrapped around David's waist, holding him steady as he thrusts his fingers. They brush past a spot that makes David gasp and moan loudly.

 _"Danny!"_  he cries, thrusting backwards, trying to take Daniel's fingers as deep as possible.  
To his surprise, though, the fingers are removed. The sudden lack of contact drags a frustrated whine from his mouth, and he hears Daniel laugh quietly.

A second later, the fingers are replaced by something warm and wet. _Oh, shit._  David squirms as Daniel's tongue flicks teasingly at his entrance. The occasional scrape of teeth has his whole body trembling. When Daniel's tongue pushes inside of him, David screams.

 _"Daniel-_ Danny- Da- oh _fuck!"_ David breathes out, panting heavily. "Good- it's so g- oh _God!"_  
His brain is pretty much past the point of coherent thought, so he gives up on trying to speak and resorts to desperate, nonsensical whimpering instead. After a little while Daniel pulls away and turns to nailing him mercilessly with two fingers, drawing moans that could rival screams. David's first orgasm hits him suddenly and unexpectedly, and he cries out at the sheer intensity of the pleasure that washes over him.

"Fuck, you're so damn hot," Daniel breathes as he pulls his fingers away. He leans over to bite David's shoulder, then sucks gently at the same spot, tracing circles with his tongue for a short while. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good," David mumbles, still not entirely coherent. He'd collapse on the bed if it wasn't for Daniel's strong arms holding him up. Everything feels comfortably fuzzy and quiet now, but he still doesn't feel entirely satisfied; he just wants _Daniel,_  and to be as close to him as physically possible.

Daniel laughs quietly, and kisses at his lower back. "You did so well. Do you want to rest for a while now?"

_Does he? No, not really, he wants Daniel's dick in his ass._

He tries to tell Daniel this, but it comes out as an incomprehensible mess.

"David? Are you alright?"

"Go, go, go," he finally manages as his brain catches up and starts to focus again.

"You... want me to leave?"

"I want you to _fuck me,"_ David forces out. "Do me _hard."_

"Shit, David," Daniel says, his voice cracking a little, "don't just say things like that, damn it. _God,_  you have no _idea_ what you do to me, do you?"  
He groans as he swiftly undresses and grinds against David's ass, struggling to hold himself back. "You sure about this?"

"Yes! Please!"

"Are you _sure?_  Because you-"

"Daniel, God damn it! I want you in me _now!"_

That's all it takes to convince him, and Daniel slowly, slowly pushes inside. He pushes forwards until their bodies are flush, causing David to gasp and whimper all over again.

 _"Shit shit shit shit shit,"_ Daniel breathes. "Ah, _shit._  You- are you okay?"

The only response David can muster is a wanton moan that quickly turns into a choked sob. A few seconds pass and he rolls his hips desperately. "Danny," he pants, mind numb with pleasure. "Please- I want it I want you _please,_ please!"

"I don't want to hurt you," Daniel says quietly. He experimentally pulls out and pushes back in again slowly, whimpering slightly when he's in all the way again. "Fuck, you're so _tight,_  you're so- you're so hot oh my _God_  you feel so _good_ Davey- _fuck."_  He repeats the movement a few times, trying to take it slow and let David's body adjust.

 _"Danny,"_  David whines, rolling his hips again. "Faster _please."_

At this Daniel picks up the pace a little, and David moans loudly, clenching the sheets in his hands. Each thrust is a little harder, a little deeper, drawing all sorts of noises from his mouth, building up to a steady rhythm. At some point Daniel's hand finds its way into David's hair and he tugs, making David yelp.

"Oh, shit, I'm sorry," Daniel gasps, stopping abruptly. "Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

David hesitates. "Do it again."

"...What?"

He gives an embarrassed whine and shuts his eyes. "I- I liked that."

"Oh." Daniel pauses as he processes that information. _"Oh._  You like that, huh?"  
He tugs on David's hair again, harder this time, pushing his hips forward at the same time, causing David to cry out. "You like that, you little slut?"

"Uh huh!" David answers breathlessly, the pleasure quickly becoming almost too much as Daniel picks up the relentless pace again, gripping David's hips tightly as he pounds into him again and again.  
Daniel's nails digging into his hips combined with the hand pulling at his hair and one particularly hard thrust is enough to send David over the edge. His body tenses and he screams, seeing white as intense pleasure overwhelms him.

 _"God Davey you're so fucking hot holy shit,"_ Daniel gushes in one breath as he finishes inside him. "Holy _shit."_

After a minute of breathing heavily and regaining their strength, Daniel slowly pulls out. David whines at the sensation, but Daniel reaches down to claim David's lips with his own, soothing him.

"Hey," Daniel whispers, and grins. "You were amazing. Are you okay?"

"Mhm," David mumbles in response, his eyes closing. "So good."

"Yeah?"

"Mhm."

Daniel gives a quiet laugh and gets to his feet. "Okay. I'll be back in a second," he says. Moments later he returns with a damp cloth and starts gently cleaning David up. Once he's done, Daniel lies down on the bed next to him.

"Thank you," David whispers, and rolls onto his side so he can cling to Daniel, eyes still closed. "Thank you thank you thank you."

"Anything for you, pretty boy."

"I really mean it. I loved it. I love you."

Daniel takes a deep breath and blinks slowly. "I love you too."

David's eyes shoot open again. He smiles shyly. "You mean that?"

"Yes." Daniel groans slightly when he sees David beaming up at him. "Don't make it weird."

"Sorry, sorry, it's just- you haven't said that before."

They're quiet for a moment, just holding each other close.

"I think I fell in love with you the very first day you were on this ship," Daniel whispers. "You were so scared, and I was so mean, but... I think you changed me. God, I love you so much."

"Gosh, Danny, I... really?"

"Really. I was- it's kind of embarrassing, but... it scared me. I haven't been in love before. Not like this. And I treated you so badly, I didn't think you would ever feel the same way."

"You're too hard on yourself. Okay, so you were really scary at first, but- after that, you've been nothing but nice to me."

Daniel groans. "I'm such a bad influence. I'm not good for you."

"I don't care. I'm really truly in love with you."

There is a short moment of quiet before he speaks again. "David... do you think we're maybe moving too fast?"

"I don't know," David admits quietly as he nuzzles into Daniel's neck. "Maybe. But I almost died the other day, so I'm not too worried about it."

Daniel gives a quiet laugh and gently kisses his nose. "I love you. I love you I love you I love you."

David blushes, his voice squeaking slightly when he speaks. "Danny!" he says. "I love you too!"

A comfortable silence falls over them as they lie together, wrapped in each other's arms. It's soft and nice and better than anything else in the world. Time seems to slip away, lose all of its meaning. It's just this, here and now. Minutes slip past wordlessly as the two of them rest, eyes closed and breathing soft.

"Daniel?" David whispers after a little while, opening one eye to gaze lovingly at the man in his arms. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Mhm. Anything."

"Where were you earlier?"

Silence.

David hesitates before elaborating. "When I woke up, I mean. I fell out of bed, and you came in, and the sun was barely even up, and usually you'd still be in bed, and..."  
He trails off and shrugs slightly.

Daniel lets out a long sigh. "Sometimes I like to go sit on the deck at night or early in the morning. Just to... think about things."

"Okay." David pauses, and then smiles sheepishly. "So, what were you... thinking about?"

"Honestly, I was mostly thinking about how much I wanted to fuck you." Daniel laughs at the way David flushes, and leans in to kiss him gently.

"I- I was just- I mean," David stammers as he pulls away. "I was worried... it's just, when you came in I thought maybe you looked... _sad,_ or... I was just..."

"Oh, darling," Daniel says, taken sl0ightly by surprise. He cups David's face in his hands. "You're such an angel. Don't you worry about me, okay? I just... sometimes when you really- when you can't-" he sighs- "it doesn't matter. Don't worry about me. Things seem better now. Okay?"

David's not entirely sure he understands what Daniel was trying to say, but he doesn't seem to want to talk about it, so he nods slowly. "Okay. But you'll talk to me, right? If you're sad?"

"David, you're too precious." Daniel pulls him closer and holds him tight. "Just lie still. You should worry less. Go to sleep."

"But-"

_"Sleep."_

"Don't you have captain-y things to do?"

With a quiet groan, Daniel buries his face in David's shoulder. "I'd rather sleep," he says, voice muffled.

"Okay, but don't you think you should-"

"Sleep."

David finally gives in and lets himself relax against Daniel. They're both exhausted, and it only takes seconds before they're both asleep.

  
He's woken up by Daniel pressing light kisses to his bare stomach, and David squirms slightly, trying to suppress a giggle. "Danny that tickles," he mumbles, brain foggy with sleep still.  
As he stretches, Daniel reaches up to place a messy kiss on his lips.

"I love you," Daniel purrs in his ear, and then nips gently at his neck.

"Love you more." His mind is too tired to engage in actual conversation; David wants nothing more than to go back to sleep again. "Wh- time is it?"

"Past noon," David answers. Fingers graze over David's bullet wound, and he flinches. "Does it hurt?"

"A little," he admits, and Daniel kisses the still prominent mark gently.

"Poor baby. I should have been more careful."

"It isn't your fault. Plus, it didn't open, right? Just aches a little."

Daniel hums slightly, seemingly deep in thought. "I want you to rest for a while longer. Just a few more days. I can't risk you hurting yourself. No strenuous exercise."

"Aww," David mutters. "I was kind of hoping we could... you know."

"You're insatiable," Daniel says, shaking his head. His tone is stern but a smile plays at his lips. "You know that, right?"

"Uh huh. If I have to stay in bed, will you at least lie with me?"

"Yes, of course I-"

The door bursts open.  
_"Captain!_  We have a problem!"

Daniel's on his feet in an instant, half of the bedsheets draped around him in a half-hearted attempt to maintain some sort of decency. _"Jen!"_  he shouts. "Have I not told you to _knock?"_

"I know, Captain, but it's-"  
Jen pauses as she takes in the fact that Daniel and David are both naked and only just covered up. She blinks twice and shakes her head. "It's an emergency, Daniel. That British ship? The one we were watching out for before? It's behind us. Still a little way away. We didn't understand how it caught up to us so fast, but..."  
Her voice lowers considerably. "Captain, it's the _Ambuscade."_

Daniel pauses. "Fuck."

"What does that mean?" David asks, confused.

"The Ambuscade is a well-known ship," Daniel explains. "Known for her speed and agility, her ability to seemingly ambush other ships with a ridiculously fast approach from behind- _shit,_  she's one of the fastest ships in the Royal Navy. They're going to catch up to us, we're never going to outrun them."

Jen groans. "We're screwed."

"No, we're not," Daniel says as he starts to dress. "David, whatever happens, stay put. Jen. Ready the canons."

"You can't be serious. Captain, their ship is much more advanced than Enchantment. And we're going to be way outnumbered-"

 _"Jen,_  I didn't ask for your opinion. I told you to ready the canons, and that is what you are going to do."

"All due respect, Captain, but you're insane." With that, she leaves the room.

"Danny... you're not really going to fight them, are you?" David asks, nervous.

Daniel just grins. "I'm going to try."

David's inclined to agree with Jen. Their captain is absolutely, undoubtedly insane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOH DRAMA but like also ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dudes it's 2am and my tv just made a really weird noise but like it's not plugged in or anything  
> anyway this happens every night and i'm pretty sure my tv is haunted

"They're approaching incredibly fast. It won't be very long until they're in our line of fire. But I still think that this is a terrible idea. Not only are their armaments a lot more advanced-"

 _"Jen._ Are we ready for combat?"

"Yes, Captain, but they're going to wipe us out."

"It doesn't matter. As long as we blow a hole in their ship and none of us get killed, we'll be fine."

"Yeah, except the odds for that actually happening aren't exactly in our favour, Captain."

"Jen, I think it's time for you to be quiet now." Daniel leads her to the helm and takes hold of the wheel, turning it faster than he perhaps should be doing.

"Daniel, what the hell?" Jen demands. "We need to stay on course- what are you doing?"

"Turning this ship around. It'll be the last thing they're expecting. We'll take them by surprise. An ambush, if you will."

Jen states at him blankly as he attempts to swing the ship around as smoothly as possible. "Oh Christ. You're actually insane. There's no way you can turn her around that fast. There's no way you can _ambush_  the _Ambuscade."_

"Watch me."

"Daniel-"

"If you don't get killed, Jen, I'm going to fucking throw you overboard."

Jen falls silent. Enchantment is handling the sudden turn fairly well, not careening _too_ much. In all honesty, Daniel's never had to turn the ship around this fast, and he's panicking a _little_  bit, but it'll probably be fine. He just needs to focus, and-

"So... you and the prisoner, huh? David?"

"Jen, shut up," Daniel says through gritted teeth, putting all of his weight into moving the wheel.

"I'm just saying, it's not-"

"Jen. He isn't a prisoner, and I'm trying to focus."

"Did you really sleep with him?"

"I've slept with David pretty much every night since I brought him aboard."

"Not like that. I mean-"

"For fuck's sake, _shut your mouth!"_  Daniel shouts. He whips out his pistol and shoots it in her general direction.

"Wow, lighten up," Jen says, having just dodged the bullet.

"We're probably about to get blown to pieces, so no, I will not _lighten up._  Shit-"  
He lets go of the wheel and it spins back into position. Daniel grins. "We did it! We turned her around!"

"Great! Now we're head-on with the navy ship that's filled with armed soldiers who want to kill us."

The grin drops and Daniel glares at Jen. "We couldn't exactly run away. That ship is a lot faster than ours."

"So let's put a hole in it already."

"Why, Jen," Daniel says, "that sounds like a solid plan."

The British ship is getting closer even faster now that both ships are moving towards each other. It won't be long before they're engaged in combat.  
Daniel runs back to his quarters and kneels by the bed where David is still lying, looking honestly kind of pissed off.

"Hello darling," Daniel whispers, and presses a kiss to David's cheek. "There may be a few loud noises now. Gunshots, screaming, you know. Just try not to let it worry you."

David glares at him. "I wanna help," he whines. "I have the knife you got me, I can-"

"Absolutely not. I'm not letting you get shot again. And I won't allow you to reopen that wound, you understand?"

"But Daniel I know I can-"

"I have to go, we're getting extremely close to the other ship. David, listen to me - there's a chance that we might get boarded. I'm going to need you to stay _put,_ which is why I'm locking you in."

"Danny wait-!"

Daniel hurriedly leaves the captain's quarters and bolts the door behind him before making our way back on deck.

"How are we doing?"

He blinks in surprise as he takes in the state of the deck. The _empty_  deck. The deck with absolutely no present crew members.

Oh shit. Apprehensively, Daniel runs to the side of the ship and looks over. He growls when he sees the few remaining members of his crew rowing away on his goddamn lifeboat.

 _"You fucking cowards!"_  he screams, and lets out a low growl. _"Jen!_ Our crew is _gone!"_

"Our what is whomst?" Jen asks, racing up from below deck and joining him at the side of the ship. "Oh, shitting hell. Fucking morons."

"They're all going to die. And now we are, too. There's no way we can take down a Royal Navy ship on our own. Plus, they probably have backup a few miles away. Maybe even a whole fleet. We're going to die."

"Jesus Christ, we're going to die. We might as well hand ourselves over."

 _Now wait a minute, that might just be an idea._  If they pretend to hand themselves over and them attack from the-

Jen apparently sees the 'I'm plotting something' look in Daniel's eyes, but she frowns and shakes her head. "No. Whatever it is that you're planning, don't."

Okay, maybe she has a point. His plan isn't great, but-

"Okay, okay, we'll stick with plan A. Blow a hole in their ship, try not to get killed. You know how to operate a canon, right, Jen?"

"No, but we could always just shoot at the ship and hope they go away." Jen pauses. "That was a joke. I know how to operate a canon."

"This is hardly the time for jokes. Sink that ship."

"Yes, Captain."

Daniel catches sight of the Ambuscade and frowns. The ship is close enough now that the soldiers on board could launch an attack if they wanted to. But nothing's happening, and it's making him uneasy.

And then a sudden movement catches his attention. _Is that...?_

A grappling hook. That means-

_Fuck._

***

The sudden commotion and yelling starts not half an hour after Daniel locks him in. David sits slumped against the door, trying to figure out what's going on. The heavy door muffles the noises, but he can hear screaming. Unfamiliar voices. Battle cries, he hopes, and not screams of pain. Gunshots. Swords clashing.

One scream stands out. A horrifying blood-curdling scream. David isn't stupid. That wasn't a battle cry.

The fighting lasts for an agonisingly long time. He doesn't know what's _happening,_ and it's _frustrating._  He's mostly worried about Daniel. _What if he's hurt?_

Okay, no, that's stupid. Daniel is a notorious pirate, for God's sake, he can take care of himself. He can handle it.

David hopes he can.

There are more screams like that first dreadful one. A second, and minutes later, a third. Then another, and another. Minutes pass, and the screams blur into each other. More gunshots. Shouting.

_"You can't keep him here forever! We're taking him home!"_

For a moment, David thinks he maybe misheard. But- oh, God, they're here for him, aren't they? They've come to take him home. They're here for him. Daniel's in danger, and it's _his fault._

_No no no no no no. This is bad._

David hauls himself to his feet, trying to ignore his aching body's protests. _God,_ his shoulder hurts. He slams himself against the door. It doesn't budge. _Fuck._ He slams against it again and again until finally the wood starts to splinter and the door eventually bursts open. He barely has time to register the fact that there are only three people standing on the deck.

 _"Stop!"_  David shouts, and without warning, a gun fires in his direction. He screams as the bullet hits his lower leg, the immediate and agonising pain forcing him to his knees.

_"Oh my God, you're him, you're David, aren't you? I'm so sorry, I didn't-"_

_"I'll fucking kill you! Oh, fuck- fuck, David are you okay? I told you to stay, I told you-"_

David reaches a hand out as he collapses, and _oh God everything is spinning,_  shit. Someone takes his hand and squeezes it.

"David, David, stay with me. _Shit, I'm going to fucking kill you like the rest of your damn crew. It's going to hurt a lot more, though. I'm going to tear you limb from limb. Jen, tie him up._ Stay with me, darling."

 _Who is he talking to?_  
David squints, trying to stop his vision from darkening any further. _What's happening?_ "Daniel...?"

The hand holding his squeezes again.  
"I'm here! I'm here. God, _fuck-_  it's going to be okay, darling. I'm going to- oh _shit,_  hold on, let me-"

Daniel's still talking, he's sure of it, but the words don't mean anything anymore.

_What is going on?_

The last thing he sees before he blacks out is the plethora of bodies littered across the deck. There must be at least a dozen, all dead, _awful awful awful._  This is his fault, _this is his-_

***

_"Ah, shit!"_

"Sorry, sorry! Try and hold still, I'm going to fix you right up. I've treated bullet wounds before, remember? It's going to be fine. You'll be alright. Oh, God, this is my fault-"

David blinks his eyes open and hisses in pain. _Where is he?_ Everything feels kind of disjointed, like he isn't really here.

Oh God, he can't feel his leg.

David screams.

 _"Fuck!"_  Daniel shouts. "Oh, Jesus Christ, was that really necessary?"

_"I can't feel my leg!"_

"I know, I know, calm down."

And then suddenly he can feel again. Sharp, searing pain, and then a dull ache. He whimpers and closes his eyes, and then opens them again, trying to get his bearings.

"What's going on?" David asks through his teeth.

A cold, damp rag is placed against his forehead. "We were boarded. Our canons blew a hole in the other ship, we sank it. We killed most of the soldiers who boarded us. You were shot."

"Daniel...?"

"Yes? I'm here, darling. Are you okay?"

"Mm. Just... a little..."  
David's eyes fall closed again. "Tired..."

"No no no no no you don't. You have to stay awake, come on. Here, drink."

_Water. He needs water._

The liquid poured into his mouth isn't water, though. It's strong and awful and it tastes like chemicals and makes his eyes water. He manages to swallow it but he jolts into a sitting up position in order to cough when it hits the back of his throat.

"Whoa, you okay?" Daniel asks, cupping his face.

"'M'fine. That's _disgusting."_

"It should take the edge off, though. You're so brave, darling. See, you already took a bullet to the shoulder just last week, I knew you'd be able to handle this, I knew you'd pull through. _God,_  I was so scared-"

Keeping his eyes open is a challenge, but David focuses on Daniel's eyes, and manages to stay awake. David reaches out a hand to touch his face, but apparently Daniel is sitting a lot closer than he thought because his hand slams right into the captain's face, which wasn't exactly what he was going for.

"Ouch," Daniel says calmly.

"Crap, I'm sorry," David slurs. "You looked... further away..."

"It's okay. How's the pain?"

"...Pain? Oh, my leg, it... it hurts. 'S'not too bad."

"That's good. _God,_ I'm going to fucking murder that guy who shot you. He's going to _pay._ I'm going to make him _suffer."_

"Daniel, he won't shut up," another voice says, a woman's voice. Jen. "Can I cut his tongue off?"

"What? No, then he won't be able to scream. Gag him."

David rubs his eyes. _God, everything hurts._ "What's going on?" he asks again, the feelings of confusion coming back. How did he get hurt again? Who's the... guy who shot him? David laughs. "Gosh, I'm so tired."

"Oh no no David David David David don't go back to sleep baby please stay awake-"

***

_"I don't know, he seemed kinda delirious. Maybe it's best to let him sleep off the pain?"_

_"What if he doesn't wake up?"_

_"He will. Just stay calm, Daniel."_

_"I'm calm! I'm- I'm calm." A long sigh. "How's our little guest?"_

_"Won't stop asking for water. Kinda makes me want to throw him in the ocean."_

_Laughter._

"Ugh. What time is it?" David groans, attempting to sit up but falling back down again.

"David, you're awake!"

_Only just._

He blinks hard and nods. "Where am I?"

"On the deck still. I didn't want to hurt you by moving you." Daniel's lips brush against his, gentle and warm. "I've been so worried. I thought you might never wake up."

"Don't be silly, it's just a-"  
What happened? Did he get shot? _Again?_ David frowns. "Who shot me?"

"Don't worry about that," Daniel says. "You're safe now. Just lie still, okay?"

David looks down at his leg. It's been bandaged up, and Daniel's pressing down on the wound with both hands. It hurts, but not as badly as he feels like it should. "Is it bleeding?"

"Yes, it's bleeding, darling. Hold still."

He does as he's told and bites his lip, trying to focus on something other than the pain. Instead, he turns his attention on the sky, which is rapidly turning to an inky blue. _Is it evening already?_  That doesn't feel right.  
Then David remembers the fighting. The screams. The _bodies,_  oh God. By the time he managed to break the door open, there were only three people left standing. Daniel, and Jen, he assumes, and- whoever shot him. David briefly wonders if the bodies are still littered around them, before he slips into a light sleep once again.

***

_The sky is dark, but it holds hundreds of glittering stars. Tiny diamonds on blue velvet. He's safe and warm and it's fine._

_Blue water, an admiral's blue coat, terrified blue eyes. Not bright like the sky, not like Daniel's. Deep and intense like the ocean. Scared. The kind of blue that toes the line between blue and green, blue like the ocean, green like the sea, almost somewhere in between. David doesn't know the face, but he recognises the voice._

_"Oh my God, you're him, you're David, aren't you?"_

_And, "I'm so sorry, I didn't realise, I didn't mean to shoot, I didn't want to hurt you."_

_There's panic in that voice. The words are strung together carelessly, like he's going to die and there isn't much time left._

_He isn't going to die, is he?_

"Are you feeling any better?"

"Huh?"

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realise you were sleeping."

David rubs his eyes and blinks a few times, trying to figure out where he is. It takes him a moment to remember the day's events. Or yesterday's events? The sky is kind of dim, maybe late evening, it's hard to tell.

"You okay? You've been in and out of sleep all day. And all of last night, too."

He looks up to see Daniel sitting by his side, stroking his hair gently. "I feel okay, I think. Tired."

"Mm. When you're able to stand, we can get you lying down in a proper bed," Daniel says. "I brought you pillows and a blanket, though. And I fixed up your leg. It isn't too badly damaged, by the way. Your leg, I mean. You won't be able to walk properly for a while, but it shouldn't cause any major problems."

David's brain still feels sleepy and he has a little trouble processing the words, but he nods. "Oh, that's good. I think."

He's vaguely aware of Daniel laughing softly and kissing his cheek, but everything feels weird and disjointed still.

"Daniel?"

"Mm?"

"I'm tired," he says slowly, trying to get his eyes to focus.

"I know, baby. Do you think you can stand up? We'll be more comfortable in my bed."

With Daniel's help he is able to get to his feet, but he can't put any weight on his injured leg, and the ship lurching underneath them doesn't help. David tries to take a step but stumbles; luckily Daniel is there to catch him, though.

"Here- here, I've got you," Daniel says, and scoops him up effortlessly.

David can't help but giggle as the captain takes him inside to the bed. His leg is still hurting, and he's still kind of half asleep, but Daniel just holding him helps a little bit.

He lays David down on the bed and kisses him again. "You're so brave, Davey. I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks..." David whispers, his eyes slipping shut again. Gosh, he's so _tired._  By the time Daniel's pulling the blanket up over him, he's already fast asleep.

***

David is woken up by shouting.

_"Come on, Daniel, you're being unreasonable!"_

David recognises the voice as Jen's. She sounds mildly distressed.

_"I'm not being unreasonable! He hurt David, and I'm going to kill him!"_

_"A few days, please. Just until you're a little bit calmer. I know you're angry, and you have every right to be, but he didn't mean to shoot David. And right now he's terrified-"_

_"He should be!"_

_"Please, Captain, just wait for a little while. I promise you, torturing him isn't going to be any less fun in a week or so. You need to take a step back and think about this logically or-"_

_"Or what?"_

He hears footsteps, and then a long sigh. The voices are much closer this time.

"At least let me talk to him."

"Absolutely not. Captain, I really must insist that you leave him alone for a while."

Another sigh. "Fine. How is Enchantment holding up?"

"Not so great, sir. She may have taken a little damage. We're going to need to find a port and stop to make repairs."

"How bad is it?"

"It could be a lot worse, but... we really are going to have to find somewhere to stop."

"That's fine. I want to stop somewhere safe for David to recover. Where's the nearest port, Jen?"

"Port Pilwich, sir. We'd have to change course, obviously, but it's the most practical option."

"Fine. I don't want another run in with Kevin, though. If he comes near us, I'm going to kill him."

"Understandable, Captain."

More footsteps, and then Daniel's by the side of the bed. When he sees that David is awake he smiles and sits on the bed next to him. "Morning, sleepy," he says, and presses a quick kiss to David's lips. "Jen and I didn't wake you with our arguing, did we?"

"Mm, but I don't mind. How long was I asleep?"

"Oh, hours. That's good, though, I need you to rest up." Daniel cups his face with one hand and frowns slightly. "This had better not become a regular occurrence. Next time you plan on getting shot, maybe don't, hm?"

David laughs and then winces as he realises that his leg _hurts._ Shit. "That sounds like a reasonable idea."

"Are you in any pain?"

"Yeah," David breathes, and winces again, closing his eyes. "But... it's- it's fine, I'll be fine."

"I know you will. _God,_  I want to kill that guy who shot you, but Jen won't fucking let me. Do you think you can eat anything?"

"Uh, yes, I suppose I could try."

"Okay," Daniel says, standing up. "I'll be back in a minute with some food."

"Thanks." David manages to drag himself into a sitting up position and leans back against the pillows. He's been in and out of sleep for... what, forty eight hours? Maybe even more, he's lost track. Even so, he's _exhausted._

He pulls the blanket back to look at his leg. It doesn't look too bad. The bandages have been changed and the blood cleaned up.

"What are you doing? Stop, don't mess with it."

David looks up to see that Daniel has returned with a tray of food. "Sorry," he says, and grins sheepishly. "I was just looking. It doesn't look so bad, though. It'll heal fast, right?"

"Mm, maybe. You were incredibly lucky last time with how fast it healed. This might take a lot longer." Daniel sits next to him and hands him the food, which David gladly accepts.

"Thanks. Will you at least take a look at it?"

"David, I changed your bandages and hour ago. I don't need to-"

"Please?"

Daniel sighs, but smiles. "Fine. If it will make you feel better."

"Thank you!"

Daniel slowly unwraps the bandage, and his face turns serious. "Oh no."

"What? What is it?"

"We're going to have to cut it off."

David pales. _"What?"_

"Oh my _God,_  I'm _joking!"_  Daniel says, and dissolves into laughter. "Your face right now, holy shit!"

It takes a second for his brain to catch up, but when it does, David glares. "Daniel! That isn't funny!"

"It is a little bit funny."

"It is not! I thought you were serious!"

Daniel grins. "You're just so adorable."

"You're mean."

"That is true."

And then Daniel cups his face in his hands and kisses him, and suddenly David can't even be mad anymore.

He tries to keep glaring, but ends up smiling like an idiot instead. "How is it really?"

"It's looking okay," Daniel tells him, and wraps the bandage back around his leg. "No infection, which is good. You probably won't be able to walk for a good while, but hopefully it'll heal nicely."

"Thank you," David says quietly, and closes his eyes. "I think I need to sleep."

"No. Eat some food. And drink some water, too. I didn't go to the effort of treating your wound just for you to die of hunger or dehydration."

Despite his brain telling him to rest some more, David does manage to eat a little, with Daniel's help. He's just so _tired,_  though, and being awake feels like you much effort.

***

When he wakes up again, the room is dark, and a little chilly. Daniel lies beside him, but he isn't asleep; he just lies still, tracing his hand up and down David's side.

Still kind of half asleep, David catches Daniel's hand and laces their fingers together.  
"Hey," he mumbles, and he feels Daniel kiss his cheek.

"Hey." Another gentle kiss is pressed to his lips, making David smile sleepily. "How are you feeling?"

David takes a moment to think about it, and then shrugs slightly. "Cold."

"Well, that's no good."

In seconds Daniel's arms are wrapped around him, pulling him close. And he's instantly so much warmer. It feels nice. Warm and safe and good.

"Is this better?" Daniel asks, and he nods.

"Mm, thank you," David whispers, and lets his eyes close again. He could stay like this forever, he thinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH KAY
> 
> so this chapter was kinda boring and painful but,,,,, soon. soon :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fair warning,, this one is a lil Spicey 
> 
> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The next few days are slow and boring and awful. David hates being stuck in bed, he _hates_  it. The pain itself isn't so bad anymore, but it hurts like hell if he tries to put weight on that leg, so it's basically impossible to stand up, let alone walk.

 

The more time he spends in bed, the more frustrated David gets.

 

He isn't the only one who's frustrated, though; Daniel's pretty much constantly pissed off because Jen isn't letting him kill their prisoner.

 

"I'm just saying," Daniel laments, pacing back and forth next to the bed, "it isn't _fair._  First of all, I'm in charge here, right? She holds no authority over me. And yet she's not letting me even see him. It isn't fair! Okay, I was a little worked up at first, but I've calmed down. I'm not going to _torture_ him. I say we just throw him overboard and be over with it. Or put a bullet in his head. But she says _'no, Daniel, you can't hurt him, he didn't mean to do anything wrong!'_  It isn't _fair."_

 

"Mhm," David mumbles, not really listening.

 

"It's not like I'm going to make him suffer, y'know? I just don't want him on my ship. Hell, if I throw him overboard he might not even die! I think I'm actually being pretty generous, to be honest. But Jen says I should wait until we dock, which won't be for _ages._  You know, that storm knocked us way more off course than we thought. We're miles away from the port and I'm running out of patience."

 

"''S'understandable," David says with a slight yawn. He's too tired to actually pay attention to whatever Daniel's going on about, and he honestly doesn't really care.

 

"What's understandable?" Daniel asks. "Me wanting to kill him, or Jen wanting me not to kill him?"

 

"Yeah."

 

Daniel sits on the edge of the bed, frowning. "Are you even listening?"

 

"No."

 

"...Ah."

 

"Sorry," David says sleepily, his eyes closing. "I'm so tired."

 

"You've been sleeping for the best part of, like, five days."

 

"Mm. Tired."

 

Daniel gives an exaggerated sigh. "I guess you'll have to go to sleep then. What a shame. I _was_ going to offer to help you up onto the deck this afternoon. It's nice and sunny-"

 

David's sitting up in an instant, suddenly excited. "I can go out on the deck?"

 

"I thought you were tired?"

 

"Please," he whispers earnestly, and Daniel laughs.

 

"Okay. We can go now if you want."

 

 

Getting there takes some effort, and a fair bit of pain, but once out on the deck, David feels infinitely better. Daniel was right, the weather is lovely today, and it's nice to feel the wind and the sunshine on his face again.

 

He stays outside until the sun starts to set. Watching the sun set over the sea is magical. The way the water lights up golden and the sky glows pink... it's hard to believe that just a few weeks ago he was terrified by the vast expanse of water around the ship. Now, it brings David a strange sort of comfort. 

 

Like this is home.

 

***

 

Over the next few days, David spends the majority of his time on the deck. It rains one day, but the weather clears up and it's soon back to warm sunshine and beautiful blue skies.

He still can't exactly walk, at least not without help, but the pain is easing, and the wound itself is healing okay.

 

***

 

They eventually stop at Port Pilwich. Night is fast approaching when they arrive, and the sky is a dark greyish blue, the first few stars just starting to appear. 

 

"We have a few things to do here," Daniel informs him. "The first and foremost being some repairs. Nothing too drastic, but she needs a little fixing up. Secondly, we seem to be in need of a crew. So we're going to see if we can find anyone willing to join us. You don't have to come with us, though, you can stay on the ship if you want."

 

David has been in bed for more than a week, and would literally rather die than stay in that same bed for another second. However, he isn't about to go and say that, so he just shakes his head and then nods and then shakes his head again. "I want to come with you," he says, and then half-heartedly mutters something about a change of scenery, which makes Daniel laugh, at least.

 

"Okay, whatever you say. But you have to be very, very careful, alright? I don't want to to reopen the wound, or - heaven forbid - get shot again."

 

David smiles. "I'll be careful."

 

 

Port Pilwich is just as he remembers it, which isn't unusual, seeing as it's only been like half a month since they were last here.

Jen decided not to join them in favour of keeping an eye on their prisoner, much to Daniel's frustration.

 

The two of them make their way to the tavern, though, to get a hot meal and hopefully find some people to make up their new crew.

 

The room falls quiet when they enter, everyone stopping their conversations to stare at Daniel. It makes David feel slightly uncomfortable, especially seeing as he's limping and quiet obviously hurt and therefore vulnerable - but Daniel's strong arm around his waist is comforting. He knows that Daniel will keep him safe.

 

They sit at the bar and Daniel orders two hot meals. The room is filled with conversation again, but now it's hushed whispers and murmurs, probably about the two of them. David can just feel all of their eyes on him, and it makes him a little nervous.

 

And then Daniel's warm hand is on his leg, a simple reassurance.

 

"It's going to be fine," Daniel whispers. "Just ignore everyone else."

 

David smiles, because that sounds like some solid advice.

 

 

When their food arrives, they eat quickly and in silence. Luckily no one approaches them so there's no need for awkward interactions, but he's still constantly aware of the fact that most of the other people in the room are watching them.

 

Once they've both finished eating, Daniel orders some sort of alcoholic drink and downs it in one go. He then whips his pistol out and fires it in the air once before standing up. The sudden noise makes David jump, and the same could be said about everyone else in the room apparently, because suddenly they're all silent again.

 

"Listen up," Daniel says calmly, and puts the pistol away. "I need several good, strong men. Sailors. If you want to be a part of my crew, be on the pier at dawn. If not, well, that's your loss." He turns to David and grins. "Let's go."

 

 

When they're outside again, David shakes his head in disbelief. "Do you really think that that's going to work?" he asks dubiously.

 

"It's worth a try," Daniel says, shrugging slightly. He smiles. "But yes, I think it will work. I'm an infamous pirate, David. Most of the people in that building would die for the chance to sail with me."

 

David laughs slightly. "You're an idiot."

 

"I am not an idiot."

 

"You are."

 

"I am not!"

 

"Yes you-"

 

"Do you want to go back to that boarding house where we stayed last time? The, uh... the bed was nice."

 

"Yeah, it was-" 

David suddenly becomes aware of the way Daniel is smirking at him. He flushes. "Oh."

 

"It's kind of uphill," Daniel says slowly, smirk never leaving his face. "I guess I'll just have to carry you."

 

David is about to protest when he is suddenly swept off his feet. He squeaks in surprise as Daniel scoops him up so effortlessly, and buries his face in Daniel's shoulder, nuzzling against his neck. "I can probably walk, you know," he says as Daniel starts up the hill.

 

"Probably. But I'd rather carry you."

 

"Well," David says softly, unable to hold back his smile, "I appreciate that very much."

 

 

Eventually they reach the big white building at the top of the hill. It's pretty quiet inside, but Daniel manages to find the owner and pay for a room before coming back to carry David upstairs to their room. Room eleven, same as last time.

 

Daniel sets him down on the bed before sitting down next to him. "So," he says somewhat suggestively, and smiles. 

 

"So," David repeats, his voice squeaking slightly from nervousness and anticipation. 

 

A gentle hand cups his cheek, and Daniel's lips meet his in a gentle kiss; David's eyes close as his lips part, already desperate for more. Arousal builds as Daniel's tongue slips between his lips.

 

Daniel pulls away first, far too soon for David's liking. "Undress for me?" he asks gently, and David nods breathlessly, already unbuttoning his shirt, eager to please. "Slowly."

Daniel's tone is almost commanding, and David immediately slows down.

He carefully opens each button, taking his time as Daniel asked him to. When he finally slips off his shirt, he hears Daniel's breath catch; and as he sets the shirt aside, he's aware of Daniel reaching down to touch himself through his pants.

 

"Beautiful," Daniel whispers, his eyes half-lidded, dark with lust. "My beautiful boy."

 

"Daniel," David gasps, and he bites his lip. "Please."

 

"Lie down."

 

David does so, and tries to hold still, awaiting further instruction.

 

And then Daniel carefully removes the rest of David's clothes, leaving him completely exposed to the cool air of the room, aside from the bandage on his leg. He feels Daniel's lips graze his stomach and he squirms slightly. 

 

"You're gorgeous," Daniel murmurs, "you know that, right?"

 

David just whimpers and clenches the sheets in his hands. "Please, Daniel," he whispers.

 

A hand traces over his stomach and waist, sliding over his hip and down to his thigh. 

 

Daniel leans forward to claim his lips in a kiss, before smiling and stroking David's face gently. "Spread your legs for me."

 

"Aren't you going to undress?"

 

"I said _spread your legs."_

 

David squeaks in surprise and spreads his legs as wide as they'll go. He's rewarded with another gentle kiss to his lips.

 

"Good boy," Daniel says. His hands move to the bandage around David's leg, the only garment he still has on. "Does it hurt?"

 

"A- a little." 

 

"Poor baby." Daniel smiles sympathetically. "I'll try to go easy on you." 

 

That's the only warning he gets before one slicked finger pushes inside him. David gasps and arches, his grip on the sheets tightening. 

 

"You okay?" Daniel asks, and David whimpers and nods. "You sure?"

 

"Yes!" 

 

"Okay."

 

The finger thrusts inside him and David moans pathetically. It's not _enough,_ he wants _more._  "Danny," he breathes, "please, I need it."

 

Daniel stops what he's doing to grin at him. "Need what?"

 

"Please, more, I need more!"

 

A couple more thrusts, and then slowly, carefully, Daniel adds a second finger. They push inside at just the right angle, making David jolt and moan.

 

Daniel smiles. "Does that feel good, Davey?" he asks, hitting that spot again.

 

"Fuck!" David cries, and pushes against Daniel's fingers. "Yes, please, yes! _Please!_ God!"

 

"You really are a horny little slut, aren't you?" Daniel asks as his fingers thrust again, drawing another moan from David's mouth. "You like that?"

 

"Yes! Oh- Daniel- fuck!"

 

Daniel's other hand moves between David's legs to stroke him slowly. 

With a small gasp, David bucks his hips almost involuntarily, desperately trying to fuck Daniel's hand. 

 

"Slut," Daniel repeats, and David cries out in pleasure, which makes Daniel smile. "You're so beautiful," he whispers. "My darling angel. I love you so much."

 

"Daniel! Fuck! Please, it feels so good!"

 

"Yeah? You like this?"

Daniel smirks, and his fingers thrust again, harder this time, and again and again until David can barely think. 

 

"So good!" David moans out, writhing on the sheets. "It's so good!"

 

"Good," Daniel says, and then removes his fingers. David whines in dismay, which makes Daniel laugh slightly. He stands up and starts to undress. "Tell me you want me inside you."

 

"Oh my God! Please, please!" 

 

"You can do better than that. Go on. Beg for it, you dirty little whore."

 

 _"Please!"_ David whines, and he then moans desperately. "Please, I need you! Fuck me hard, please! Tear me apart, use me, I don't care! I need it!"

 

"God damn it," Daniel says under his breath, voice wavering slightly. "You're really fucking hot."

 

"Daniel-" 

 

"Hush. You'll get what you asked for." Daniel finishes undressing and gets back on the bed. He lifts David's legs and goes back to stretching him open, adding a third finger this time, making David moan some more.

After several thrusts of his fingers, Daniel loses his patience and pulls them out. He spits on his hand and grips his cock, stroking himself a few times before smirking slightly as he lines himself up with David's tight hole.

"Do you want me to fuck you, David?" he asks sweetly, still smirking, and David whimpers.

 

"God, _please!"_

 

The smirk drops and is replaced with a more serious expression. "Are you sure?"

 

"Yes!" 

 

"Are you sure you're sure?"

 

_"Daniel put it in!"_

 

Daniel huffs out a laugh and rocks his hips forward a little, just enough to make David squeak and bite his lip. "Shh, I just wanted to double check."

 

"Thank you," David whimpers, his voice catching when Daniel pushes further inside. "I love you."

 

"Love you too."

 

When Daniel bottoms out, he reaches one hand up to lace their fingers together, his other hand gripping David's thigh. David gasps, his eyelids fluttering, face twisted in pleasure. "Please," he breathes out, trying to buck his hips to get Daniel to move. 

 

Daniel does move, but _slowly,_  too slowly. It draws a groan from David's lips, though the sound is more frustrated than anything else. 

 

"Daniel- f- faster _please,"_ David pants, one hand still clenching the sheets, the other intertwined with Daniel's.

 

"I don't want to hurt you, Da-"

 

 _"Fuck_ me!" 

 

"You are _insatiable."_

 

_"Daniel!"_

 

To his relief, Daniel does pick up the pace, finally giving him what he asked for. It isn't long before Daniel is fucking him ruthlessly into the mattress.

 

David does his best not to scream, because surely there are other people staying in the boarding house - but by God, he _wants_ to. Instead he bites down on the back of his free hand, trying desperately to keep the noise down. It doesn't help a lot, though. He can't help but moan out around his hand as Daniel fucks into him faster and harder than before.

 

"Shit, David, you feel so good," Daniel pants between thrusts, his nails digging into David's thigh, not hard enough to draw blood but enough to leave marks. "You okay?" 

 

"Yes!"

 

"Good boy. My good boy." 

 

Each thrust brings David a little closer to the edge, and when the angle changes slightly, Daniel hits a spot that makes him scream without reserve. With Daniel pounding mercilessly into that spot, it doesn't take long for David to finish. The building pleasure quickly becomes too much. He cries out and throws his head back as he comes, whole body tensing up, tears spilling down his cheeks from the intensity of it all.

Seeing David so utterly wrecked is enough to push Daniel over the edge seconds later. He finishes moaning David's name. 

 

They're both left panting and exhausted, but content. David's legs tremble as Daniel pulls out and lies down next to him. 

 

"Are you okay?" Daniel asks quietly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

 

"I'm great," David mumbles, his eyes slipping shut, his mind warm and numb and fuzzy. "It was perfect."

 

Daniel smiles and squeezes his hand again. "I'm glad," he says softly. "You were so amazing. Can I kiss you?"

 

"Of course." David giggles slightly when their lips meet, and he wraps his arms around Daniel, hooking one leg over his hip, desperate to be as close as physically possible. They fall asleep in a tangled embrace, without even bothering to pull the blanket up over them.

 

***

 

It isn't yet dawn when David wakes up. The room is cold. He manages to slip out of bed without waking Daniel, wrapping the thin sheet around himself before heading over to the window. It's open slightly, so he goes to shut it, but not before taking a moment to breathe in the cool night air and admire the view. It really is nice here.

 

He hears a soft groan from the bed, and turns to see Daniel stirring from his sleep.

 

"Why is it so damn cold?" Daniel mumbles, still not quite awake, and David smiles. 

 

"Here," he whispers, joining Daniel on the bed once again, draping the blanket over both of them. Once they're cuddled together again, it's considerably less cold, and it isn't long until they're both fast asleep once more.

 

***

 

David is shaken awake an hour later. The sun still hasn't risen, and the sky is only just beginning to show the signs of a new day approaching. He groans and wraps the blanket tighter around himself, not wanting to leave the security of the warm bed.

 

"Come on," Daniel whispers, "we've got to go."

 

"Don't want to," David mutters, and Daniel laughs quietly. 

 

"I know. Me neither. But we have to go to the pier to find ourselves a new crew, remember?"

 

"I don't want to go," David groans, rolling over and curling into a ball.

 

Daniel sighs. "Alright. I'll go on my own."

 

In an instant, David is sitting up, suddenly very awake. "Wait, don't go without me! I want to come!"

 

Daniel sighs again, but he smiles. "Come on, then, get dressed. Hurry up, we should be there already."

 

 

On the way down to the waterfront, David tries to ignore the fact that his whole body aches, but it's hard when the majority of the pain is coming from his leg. He winces as he walks. Daniel notices, of course, and helps him walk, but the pain is still hard not to think about.

His shoulder hurts a lot, too, where he was shot the first time. It hasn't been hurting for a while, but now it feels bad again. David doesn't mention it, though. He doesn't want to worry Daniel.

 

 

When they get to the dock, it's surprisingly quiet. David was expecting a dozen men, maybe two dozen, but there's only a small group of people gathered at the end of the pier.

 

Daniel frowns.

 

He storms towards the people, leaving David to limp the rest of the way on his own.

 

"What is this?" Daniel demands, gesturing vaguely at the group, which, David realises, consists of three people. _Three._

 

"Whadd'ya mean?" one of the three people asks, and even from a distance, David recognises that voice, that coat, that _face,_ and David freezes. _Oh no._  That's- "You're looking for sailors, ain't you?"

 

Daniel's hand moves to the pistol at his waist. "I'm looking for _sailors,_  Kevin," he snarls, "not traitorous _scum."_

He turns to another of the three people, and throws his arms up in disbelief. "Who the hell are you?" he asks, and the person - who is, David realises upon limping a few more paces, a child.

 

"Who the hell are _you?"_ the child snaps back, glaring, and Daniel shakes his head slowly, clearly confused. The kid sighs and crosses his arms. "Listen man, I just want to get on a ship and get away from this hellhole. I've got money. I'll pay rent or whatever. Just get me out of here."

 

Daniel pulls a face. "But you're, like, eight."

 

"I'm _ten,_  you worthless, pernicious hag," the boy spits.

 

Daniel blinks once, and draws his pistol. _"What_ did you call me?"

 

"I called you a worthless-" 

 

"Whoa, okay, let's not!" David interrupts, finally catching up to Daniel and pulling the pistol from his hand, laughing nervously. "Let's maybe not point a gun at a ten year old!"

 

"David, give me that back-"

 

"Hey, buddy," David says to the kid, crouching down in front of him, wincing slightly at the pain in his leg but smiling nonetheless. "What's your name?"

 

"I'm Max. Who the fuck are you?"

 

David blinks in surprise. "Oh," is all he can say. 

 

"Okay," Daniel says, evidently trying to remain calm. He turns to the third member of the group, who has been keeping quiet this whole time. A broad hat obscures their face. "Okay. We have a traitorous bitch and an angry child. What about you? Do you know how to hoist a sail? Read a map? Please tell me you do."

 

The person removes the hat. "I do." 

 

There's a long and uncomfortable silence. 

 

"You're a woman." Daniel sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "I seem to remember asking specifically for men. You are a woman."

 

"I am," the woman says, "but I know how to hoist a sail.  _And_ read a map."

 

Daniel just groans. "I can't believe the only people who showed up are-" he gestures vaguely to the three people before him- _"you._ I need a crew. This isn't a crew, this is a... I don't know _what_  this is, but it isn't a crew." He sighs again. "Go home. All of you."

 

"Wait," David says. He stands up and turns to the woman. "What's your name?"

 

"Gwen," she replies, and shoots a dirty look in Daniel's direction.

 

"Nice to meet you, Gwen! My name's David! Have you been on a ship before?"

 

"Sure. I've been living here for almost a year though, and I want to get out on the sea again. Got family in Europe. Figured I'd tag along with somebody and help out in exchange for a ride."

 

"That's great!" David says, beaming. "Our crew abandoned us, so we're looking for new people to sail with, and it sounds like you could use a ship, so-"

 

 _"David,"_ Daniel cuts in, snatching his pistol back and flipping it in his hand before fastening it at his belt once more. "You know it's bad luck to have a woman on board, right?" 

 

"Jen's a woman," David responds, and Daniel puts a hand over his eyes, shaking his head. "And that's a load of hooey, anyway. I bet Jen would probably appreciate the company." 

 

"Hey," the child- Max- snaps, waving one arm. "If you take _her_ with you, you've got to take me, too."

 

"No," Daniel says, "no way. Absolutely not. We're not taking either of you."

 

"What about me?" Kevin asks, and Daniel points a gun in his face. 

 

"Shut up, Kevin."

 

"Well, I think it's perfect!" David says, and Daniel closes his eyes, most likely wishing he'd stayed in bed. "Okay, it wouldn't be the most orthodox of crews, but it _would_  be unique, right? I mean, as long as Kevin promises not to shoot me again, I think it'll be great!" 

 

"You can't be serious." Daniel swings the pistol in Max's direction. "Even the kid?" 

 

"We can't just leave him here! Come on, Daniel, this is better than nothing. It's better than better than nothing! We can make this work!"

 

"Okay," Daniel says after a long pause, and puts the gun away. He turns and paces a few steps, comes back, pulls a small bottle of something out of his pocket and takes a long swig. "Okay, okay. This is going to be..."

He trails off and shrugs. Takes another swig from the bottle. "Okay. Let's do it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOOOOO OKAY
> 
> feel free 2 leave a comment n let me know what u think so far!!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK BITCHES 
> 
> this is mostly porn i'm sorry

"I hate that we're actually doing this," Daniel mutters, glowering. "I can't _believe_  that only three people showed up. I can't believe that one of them was a _child._  And- Kevin? I don't trust him one bit, David."

"What about Gwen? She seems nice."

Daniel just scoffs and shakes his head.

"Come on, Danny, you don't really think it's bad luck to have a woman on board, do you?" David asks, smiling slightly.

"I don't know. Maybe."

"That's stupid."

Daniel shoots him a look that's somewhere between skeptical and amused, and then lets out a long sigh. "Yeah, you're probably right. I mean, Jen hasn't brought me any bad luck. At least, not that I know of."

"Do you think she'll be okay showing the new crew around on her own?"  
The pier is empty now, aside from the two of them. They sit at the end, legs dangling over the edge.

"She'll be fine. There are only three of them, after all." Daniel sighs again and stares off dramatically at the ocean. "I have a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling. We should just... get the repairs that we need done and get the hell out of here. We can find a new crew some other place."

"Come on, Daniel, it'll be okay. Just give them a chance." There's a short moment of silence between them, the only sound being the lapping of waves against the pier's pilings. "Is there anything else we need to do whilst we're here?"

"Just a few small repairs on the ship," Daniel replies. "And..."  
He pauses and glares down at the water beneath them. "We also need to take care of our prisoner."

David cringes. "Ah." He's hoping for the best, of course, but he strongly suspects that by 'take care of', Daniel means _kill._  And that... isn't something he wants to think about.  
Okay, this guy shot David, but he didn't _mean_  to, right? And David doesn't want him to _die_  because of that. That would be... it just... it feels _bad,_  the whole thing feels bad. Which is why he's been trying not to think of the prisoner on the ship, most likely awaiting death.

David's just glad that Jen kept Daniel away from him for this long. Otherwise, who knows what Daniel would have done? He was... _really_  mad.

"You okay?" Daniel asks, making David jump slightly.

"Y- yeah. I'm fine. Thanks."

"Are you... sure?"

"Yes." David bites his lip. "No. I don't know. I'm just... I'm worried about the prisoner."

Daniel gives a short laugh. "Is that all? Don't worry about that, David. I'll handle it. Rest assured, he'll pay for what he did."

"No- you don't- that's what I'm worried about! I don't... want him to suffer."

"Then I'll make it quick," Daniel says. "He'll barely even feel-"

"No, Daniel! You don't get it!" David cries, suddenly annoyed. "I don't want him to- I- I don't want him to _die!_  Not on my behalf! It isn't right!"

Daniel frowns. "I don't understand. Why are you yelling? He _hurt_ you, David. He has to pay. I have to kill him."

"No he- no, you _don't!_ He didn't mean to hurt me, and he doesn't deserve to die for it!"

"I have to kill him," Daniel repeats, quieter this time, and David laughs, but it isn't a happy sound, by any means.

"God. You're a little fucked up," he says, his tone angry, "you know that, right?"

"David..."

"Don't."

"I don't understand, I thought- why don't you-? He- I just want to..."  
Daniel trails off, looking somewhat distressed and confused. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to upset you."

There's a short but uncomfortable pause before David speaks. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have snapped like that." He sighs. "I just... I can't stand the thought of someone dying for my sake. His crew is already dead because of me. They came for me, right? That... that means it's my fault that they're dead."

"What? David, God, no, that's not- if anything, it's my fault. I'm the one who killed them. I'm the one who kidnapped you in the first place. You didn't ask for any of this. _God,_  I'm such an idiot, I'm so-"

"No no no, don't beat yourself up about it," David cuts in, not entirely sure how to feel, but knowing he doesn't want Daniel to blame himself either way. "I'm happy with you. I _want_  to be here! But you _have_  to promise me one thing. Promise you won't kill that prisoner."

Daniel sighs. "David-"

"No. Promise me. _Please._  Just let him off the ship before we leave. It'll be okay."

"You... really don't want me to kill him?"

"Please don't."

Daniel sighs again, and shakes his head. "Okay. Okay. I don't get it, but if that's what you want... I promise you, I will not kill him. He's getting the hell off my ship, though."

"Of course." David smiles slightly, despite feeling a little on edge. He doesn't understand why Daniel feels so strongly about killing the guy, but it makes him a little nervous.  
It's a side of Daniel that he doesn't often see, a side that he doesn't _want_  to see. Because it's so easy to forget that Daniel has killed so many people. It's so easy to forget that he's scary, that he's _dangerous._ Because it was so easy to fall in love with him and forget about the rest.

"We don't even have to deal with it today," Daniel says quietly, staring off into the distance once more. "We can get the other stuff done, and get to know the new crew, and take it easy."

David nods, but doesn't say anything. He doesn't want to think about it anymore. He doesn't want to think about anything right now. It's suddenly too confusing and frightening - because he _wants_ to believe that Daniel is a good person, but the stupid, heated conversation was enough to make him doubt that.

_Ugh._

He closes his eyes and exhales slowly. He's being stupid, he's overreacting. Right? It's not a big deal. If anything, it's _sweet_  that Daniel wants to... avenge him or whatever.

"David?"

He flinches slightly. "Yes?"

"Are you- are we... okay?"

 _Are they?_  Maybe. Yes? Probably.

Kind of?

Eventually David pushes the stupid doubts and negative thoughts aside. They won't help anything, anyway. Instead, he grabs Daniel's face and kisses him, hard.  
He pulls back and nods, and Daniel grins, closing the distance between them to return the kiss. He licks at David's open mouth as he pulls away, and David shudders. _"I love you,"_  Daniel breathes. He moves to kiss and lick at David's neck, his tongue warm, teeth grazing every so often.

His hand finds its way towards David's crotch, and David gasps and jerks slightly as Daniel gropes him lightly through his clothing. _"Daniel,"_  he hisses, suddenly very aware that they're in _public,_  "not here, someone could see!"

 _"Good,"_ Daniel growls, groping harder, making David mewl. He bites at David's neck, possessive, almost angry, and then licks at the same spot lovingly. "Let them see. I want the whole world to know that you're _mine."_

David clings to Daniel's shoulders as Daniel straddles his lap and grinds against him, mouth still working at his neck, lips grinning against his throat. Daniel grinds down into David's lap again, the contact making him moan.

And then David also becomes very aware that they're sitting on the edge of the pier, and they could fall off the edge at any given time, which means that this is probably neither the best nor the safest place to make out, especially considering that David currently only has one functioning leg, and-

"Danny," he breathes, and pushes Daniel away slightly, just enough to get his attention. "Can we please- I need- can we take this to the bedroom?"

Daniel grins and gets to his feet, helping David up after him. "Of course we can, angel."

***

David wakes up to Daniel placing soft little kisses all over his face; he laughs softly as Daniel strokes a hand up his side.  
"Danny, that tickles-" he says, but is cut short by Daniel placing a kiss to his open mouth. He can't help moaning slightly as Daniel's tongue flicks at his.

David smiles as the kiss breaks. It must be late afternoon now. Golden sunlight streams through the window, flooding onto the bed and illuminating their skin. It's magical.

And Daniel kisses his cheek, his forehead, his nose, his chest, his lips once more. "I love you," he says quietly, and then grins, gently stroking David's hair.

"I love you too," David whispers, entranced. "I love you so much."

Daniel's hand traces down his chest and over his abdomen, nails scraping slightly across his skin. David shivers slightly, perhaps from the coolness of the room, perhaps from the anticipation building slowly in his body.  
"Danny..." he whispers, a certain neediness to his voice, and Daniel smiles, eyebrows raising slightly.

"What's the matter?" Daniel asks quietly, and his hand slips lower still, finding David's hip and tracing little circles.

"Please," David whispers, blushing. "I... I want to make love again."

Daniel lets out a quiet laugh and kisses David on the lips. "You're so damn precious," he murmurs, and their lips meet again. "How do you want it? Gentle or rough?"

"Gentle, please."

"Okay."

Daniel kisses him one more time before entering him.  
David gasps and whimpers slightly, his arms slipping around Daniel's waist to pull him close. It's nice. Less intense, and somehow more intimate. Sure, he loves when Daniel fucks him without reserve, but something about this feels so soft and pure.

He'll never grow tired of this. Not just the sex - it's everything. Falling asleep with Daniel and waking up with him. Being close physically, and emotionally, and in every way possible.

It's perfect.

He tries not to think about the little argument they had earlier, and instead tries to focus on the pleasure of Daniel fucking into him so gently and slowly. The softness of his skin, the warmth of his body, the sound of his breathing.

He tries not to think about how much Daniel wants to kill the prisoner on the ship.

Okay, so maybe it isn't _perfect._  But that's okay.

***

The next day is slow and kind of boring. There are a few more repairs that need to be seen to on the ship, so most of the day is spent waiting around for that to get done. They wake up late and get lunch in the tavern in town, and then go to the ship to see how things are going.

"Where were you guys yesterday?" Jen asks upon seeing them, and David blushes, because they kind of spent most of yesterday in bed.

"There were... certain things we had to take care of," Daniel tells her, and shoots David a small smirk.

"You stupid sluts," Jen sighs, and David chokes on his spit. "Listen, we're going to be ready to sail tonight. The repairs are almost done. A few more hours at most and we'll be ready to go."

"Alright," Daniel says, calmly, as if they weren't just called out for being stupid sluts. "We should go before the sun sets, if possible. I'd like to get a good way away from here before nightfall."

"Yes, Captain," Jen says, and then pauses. "Daniel, about our prisoner. We're going to have to decide what to do with him tonight."

"I've already decided. We'll get him off the ship before we leave. He can stay here at the port. How's our new crew settling in?"

"Fairly well. I've been showing them the ropes. I think they'll adjust pretty quickly."

"That's great, Jen." Daniel glances up across the deck to where Max is carving his name into one of the masts with a knife. He frowns. "Make sure everything's ready for us to sail tonight."

With that, he storms over to Max and snatches the knife from him.

"Hey, David, do you want come talk to the, uh, rest of the crew with me?" Jen asks, grinning as she takes hold of David's arm.

"What? Y- yeah, sounds good, I just- I just want to make sure that Daniel doesn't kill that kid."

Jen laughs slightly. "Come on, David, he's not a monster. He wouldn't kill a _child."_

David isn't sure he completely one hundred percent believes that, but he figures he should have faith in Daniel, and allows Jen to lead him to the crew's quarters.

He hasn't been in here before, and it's not as nice as he thought it would be. He isn't sure what exactly he was expecting, but compared to Daniel's room, this is... not pleasant. The only light comes from a small lantern hanging in the entrance. Aside from that, it's dim and dingy. Several cot-like beds line the walls. The ceiling is lower in here, too.

"You sleep here?" David asks, kind of shocked and honestly a little appalled.

Jen just shrugs and laughs, though. "Yeah, it's not the fanciest place, but... it's home."

At the far end of the room, Gwen sits on one of the beds, reading a book. She glances up when she hears Jen and David enter. "Hey," she says, and David smiles.

"Hi, Gwen! What's your book about?"

She sets the book down without answering. "Are we leaving soon?"

Jen nods. "Yes, a few more hours at most. Are you ready to go?"

"Hell yes. Get me the fuck out of here."

David cringes slightly at her almost aggressive tone, but opts to ignore it. Instead he sits down next to her on the bed. "How come you're so desperate to get away from here? It seems like a pretty nice place."

Gwen scoffs. "Yeah, it's _nice,_  I _guess.n_ But I don't want to be tied down, y'know? I want to travel, I want to see the world. Staying in one place is _boring."_

At this, David smiles slightly, because in a way, he's in the same boat. No pun intended. He couldn't stand his old life, back when things were so simple and- yeah, boring. Gwen has a point. Being restricted like that... it was suffocating. Yes, his life before was _nice._ His father was rich. He had money, he had a nice home. But he wasn't _happy._  So if Gwen wants to leave this place for similar reasons, well, he can understand that.

There's a screech from above deck, and David winces. That sounded like Daniel. Whatever happened, it can't be good. "I should go see what's going on," he says quietly, and Jen nods at him.

"Good luck," she says.

Daniel's clutching him arm to his chest. He looks _pissed,_ and David knows that this definitely isn't good.

"What happened?" he asks urgently, running over to Daniel. His eyes widen when he notices the crimson blood on Daniel's white sleeve.

"That little bitch stabbed me," Daniel growls, and his eyes scream murder.

Wait, Max _stabbed_ him?

Oh, shit.

This is very not good.

"Okay," David says, "okay, okay. Okay. Just... stay there, I'll talk to him. Is it- are you- is- is it bad? Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," Daniel answers through clenched teeth. "But I'm going to fucking kill that kid."

Okay okay okay. This is bad.

It doesn't take David long to find Max. He's at the front of the ship, hiding behind some wooden crate, flipping a knife in his hand.

"Hey, kiddo," David says, and Max glares, pointing the knife at him.

"What, you wanna get stabbed too?"

"Wh- what? No! I just- you really hurt Daniel-"

"He's a creepy bitch. I don't like him."

"That's not very nice. You don't _know_  him!"

Max shrugs. "I don't want to know him."

"Listen... maybe this isn't going to work out. I- I don't think you should come with us."

"Where else am I going to go?"

"I don't know," David says, quietly, and sits down on the deck next to him. "Home?"

"I don't have a home," Max spits. "My parents are dead and I have no where to go."

David pauses, unsure of what he can say. "Oh." He chews on his lip, frowning. "I'm sorry, that's awful."

"It's whatever." Max suddenly looks sad, maybe even slightly scared. "You're not going to leave me behind, are you? I don't want to be on my own anymore."

"Of course we won't leave you! You can come with us! You're... going to have to give me that knife, though."

"Seriously? Give me a break."

"I'm sorry, Max, but you stabbed Daniel! I can't trust you to keep the knife without hurting anybody."

"He's a pussy. It was only a scratch, anyways," Max says, but hands the knife over regardless.

"Thank you." David pockets the knife and stands up. "You should probably keep out of Daniel's way for a while. He's kind of... mad right now."

At this, Max rolls his eyes, but nods.

"Okay. I'll come check on you later?"

When he gets no response, David sighs, figuring it's best to give him a bit of space for the time being. So instead of trying to have a proper conversation, he leaves Max alone, and goes to find Daniel again.

He finds Daniel in his quarters, cleaning his wound. Like Max said, it isn't too bad, just a scratch, really. It's barely deep. Still, Daniel hisses as he rinses the blood away.

 _"Son of a bitch,"_  he mutters, glaring at his arm.

"What even happened?" David asks from the doorway, making Daniel jump and curse. "S- sorry. Are you okay?"

 _"Fine,"_  Daniel says in a tone that suggests that he is definitely not fine.

"Are you sure...?"

 _"No._  This _sucks._  Everything sucks. Leave me alone."

David lets out a long sigh and slowly walks over to the bed. He sits down, and gestures vaguely at the wet rag Daniel's using to clean the wound. "Do you want me to...?"

With a slight smile, Daniel hands him the rag. "Thanks."

David takes over cleaning the cut, trying to be careful and gentle. It looks worse than it is; it isn't even bleeding anymore, but there's blood all over Daniel's shirt, making it look way more serious.

Daniel notices it at the same time and laughs slightly. "Guess I'm going to need a new shirt, huh?"

"I don't know, I kind of like it," David says with a smile. "Looks pretty hardcore."

"Oh my God, shut up." Daniel tries unsuccessfully to hide his grin. "I'm... really glad you're here."

"Me too."

"I'm serious. You're so fucking perfect. I love you so much."

"Stop, oh my gosh," David squeaks. He grins and ducks his head to hide his blush. "I love you too."

A gentle hand cups his face, thumb stroking his cheek softly. "Can I kiss you?" Daniel asks, and David nods.

Their lips meet, and everything is perfect.

Okay, their crew is kinda shitty, and everything kinda does suck, but _this_  is perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hahaha! the angst hits next chapter


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok highkey i hate this chapter because i wrote parts of it like 6 months ago when i first came up with this fic and the plot kinda changed a bit so i reworked it but i still don't liKE IT
> 
> but i don't feel like rewriting the whole chapter so this is what ur getting sDKDJDMFH,, so if this one feels off well u kno why
> 
> ANYWAY DID SOMEBODY WANT JASPER CONTENT?? YEAH?? OKAY GOOD

When Jen yells for him, Daniel's _annoyed._  He was supposed to be having a nice moment with David, and Jen was supposed to be getting drinks at the tavern, and now she's on the deck demanding his attention for some godforsaken reason-

"We have a problem," Jen says urgently, and Daniel curses under his breath. She was supposed to be getting _drinks,_ what could have _possibly_ gone wrong?

"What is it now?" he snaps, just wanting to get back to David as soon as possible. This better not be too serious.

"Okay, so, I went to the tavern to get us some alcohol, right? And there were some guys in there. And I overheard them talking, right? And-"

"Jen, spit it out, _please."_

"They know we're vulnerable and they're planning to steal our ship."

_"What?"_

"Yeah, we gotta go, like, now."

Daniel exhales slowly, and then nods. "Okay. Okay, are we ready to set sail? All the repairs, they're sorted?"

"Yes sir," Jen says, "we're ready to go. These guys, they know we're leaving by sundown, and they're planning to attack right before we set off. The sun's already setting, so we pretty much need to leave right now."

"Fine. Make sure everyone's ready to-"  
Daniel pauses and pulls a face. "Wait, our prisoner, I have to kick him off the ship before we leave."

"What don't you understand about 'we need to leave right now'? We have to go! _Now!"_

"It won't take long, I just-"

"Captain, there's no time! We're _no match_ for these guys, I'm telling you. We _can't_ fight them."

"But-"

 _"Daniel."_  There's a dangerous look in Jen's eyes, and Daniel backs down.

"Okay," he says, and shrugs. "It's fine, I'll just kill him. Prepare to set sail immediately." As Jen leaves, his voice drops to a whisper. _"I'm sorry, David."_

***

Shortly after Daniel left to speak with Jen, the ship starts moving. David stands up, confused. They're not meant to be leaving yet, are they? What about the prisoner, did Daniel let him off the ship like he promised he would?

Of course he did. Daniel made a promise. He wouldn't break it. Right?

Maybe he should go see what's going on?

No. It's fine. Daniel kept his word, David's sure of it.

He sits back down.

There's no need to get worked up. It's fine. He can just stay here and sit and wait for Daniel to come back.

Ten minutes pass, and David starts to feel nervous. Which is probably totally stupid and irrational, obviously. Daniel would never go against his word, right? He definitely threw the prisoner off at the dock. And now they're just setting sail and David just has to wait for Daniel to come back. It's fine. 

Another five minutes pass, and David hears voices out on the deck.

_"Bring him out. I'll make it quick."_

Well, _that_ fills him with unease. He decides he should go and see what's happening.

It's getting dark out and it seems like it might rain. It's windy, too, and he winces as the salty wind whips at his face. As David steps out onto the deck, Jen walks past him without a word. "What's going on-?" he tries, but she's gone.

He looks forward and is immediately filled with horror. An unfamiliar person, who David can only assume is the guy who shot him, kneels on the deck. His hands are bound behind his back. And there's Daniel, a deranged sort of look in his eye. David watches in horror as Daniel kicks the prisoner in the ribs.

_No, no, no, he made a promise, he wouldn't-_

_"You bitch,"_ Daniel snarls, though it's barely audible over the wind. "You hurt David. You came out here to take him away from me. You _shot_ him."

The prisoner looks _terrified._  "What? To- to _what?_  No, sir, we were sent to rescue him, not-"

Daniel drags him up by his shirt collar and punches him in the face, and David winces as he watches the blood drip from his nose. _No, no, no,_  this has to stop. He takes a few steps forwards and tries unsuccessfully to get Daniel's attention. _"Daniel what are you-"_

"I thought I'd be okay with this. I  _thought_ I could kill you fast, get it over with. But now- God, I'm just so  _angry,_ you know?"

Daniel pauses for a moment, but continues before David can intervene. "They're all dead, the rest of your crew. Every last one of them... slaughtered like worthless animals... and I threw their bodies overboard. But you? Oh, no, no, I have something _special_ planned for you." He pauses again, and grins. "What's your name?"

"J- Jasper, sir. Please, don't hurt me, I was only following my orders, I swear I never meant to-"

Daniel punches him again. There's an unpleasant crunch paired with a scream, and David is pretty sure that his nose is broken. He's  _horrified._ He stays still, frozen in something like shock or fear, or both.

 _"Jasper,"_ Daniel spits, letting him drop to the floor and kicking him again. "You're so _fucking lucky_  that Jen didn't let me at you until now. I was so _mad._ This is _nothing_  compared to what I would have done to you before."

It's raining now. David pushes past the pain in his leg to move forward again, closing the distance between them. Grasps Daniel's arm and pulls him aside before he can do any more damage.  
_"Daniel, stop!"_ he shouts. "What are you _doing?_ You said you'd let him off, you _promised!_  Come on, he was only doing his job, someone obviously sent him and his crew to take me home, he wasn't trying to hurt me-!"

"David, calm down," Daniel says. There's a frightening look in his eyes. "You're being irrational. He may not have been _trying_  to hurt you, but he _did,_  and he's going to _pay_  for it."

 _No no no._  David's voice becomes more panicked and desperate. "Daniel, please, we talked about this, you said you wouldn't kill him, you promised-"

"I said I wouldn't _kill_  him. I never said I wouldn't _hurt_ him. But now- oh, now I _want_ to kill him, Davey. Don't you understand? I _need_  to. I need to make him pay-"

 _"Daniel!"_  David cries, and waves his arms frantically. "Do you _hear_ yourself right now?!Please, _stop!_ Why couldn't you just leave him at the dock like you said? Let him go! You need to let this go!"

"It's too late for that, Davey," Daniel says, and David takes a step back, genuinely scared. "I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him and I'm going to _enjoy it."_

At this David breaks down sobbing. _"Please!"_ he screams over the wind, "you promised me you wouldn't hurt him! You _promised!"_

"David, he _deserves to die-"_

"Stop! Stop, I don't want to hear it!"  
David wipes his face, his cheeks wet with rain and tears. "If you do this, I will never forgive you."

At this, Daniel seems to snap out of it. Suddenly he looks scared. Vulnerable, almost. And then he sighs, and places a hand over his eyes, and after a moment, he waves his other hand in an indifferent manner. He clearly isn't happy about it, though. "Okay. _Alright._ God, he can live. Though I don't know _why_  you'd want him to. I want to _fucking kill him,_ but... if you really don't want me to, I won't."

David breathes out a sigh of relief and closes his eyes. _Holy fucking shit._  
"Thank you," he whispers.

"If you're sure that's what you-"  
Daniel stops. "You know, now that I think about it, we could make some money off him. Maybe someone will pay something for his safe return..."

 _No no no._  David shakes his head, desperate for Daniel to quit acting this way. "Daniel, Daniel, please, just drop it, please-"

"Shut  _up,_ David!" Daniel snaps. "What do you think, _Jasper?"_

The prisoner- Jasper- looks scared as hell. The blood dripping down his face certainly doesn't help, and he trembles as he speaks, his eyes wide with fear, voice small. "The- the Royal Navy has dozens of recruits, I doubt they'd- I doubt they'd pay ransom for someone like me, sir."

"Ah." Daniel hesitates. "That's tragic."  
He runs a hand through his hair and exhales slowly, clearly trying to calm down, which David is grateful for, at least. He laughs slightly before continuing, "seriously, you're very lucky that Jen didn't let me near you before now. I would have killed you, and it would have been incredibly painful. For you, of course. It would have been fun for me."

David frowns, silently begging Daniel to _stop._  Okay, he's so much calmer now, which is good, but _still._  This side of Daniel - this dangerous, terrifying side of him - it scares David. It scares him, and he wishes that Daniel would just calm down and let it go.

"And David, of course, I would have definitely killed you if not for him. You're lucky he's such a damn angel."

"Daniel, please," David whispers. He's cold and tired and _scared_  and he just wants this to be _over._  
  
"What's your position?" Daniel demands, grabbing Jasper's face and forcing him to make eye contact.

"I- I'm- I was recently made an admiral, sir," Jasper stammers.

"Really? And you still think no one will pay for your return?"

"I- they won't miss me, I'm not very experienced."

Daniel nods, seeming to consider this for a moment. "Well... David doesn't want me to kill you, so why don't we put you to good use?"

Jasper's eyes widen and he whimpers slightly, causing Daniel to laugh at his reaction.  
"Don't look so scared. Tell me, Jasper, do you know how to hoist a sail?"

"Yes, sir."

"Hm. Well, then, I suppose you might be useful after all." Daniel glances around the empty deck and scowls. "We are down a few crew members, after all. Get up."

"You're joking, right?" David hisses, suddenly even more uneasy than before. "We can't keep him on the ship! Can't we go back? Or find somewhere else to leave him?"

"We can't go back. And anyway, who's to say he wouldn't go running home for back up?" Daniel points out. "If they think there are no survivors, they probably won't send anyone else. If he somehow gets home, though, well... we could have a whole fleet on our backs, it would be messy."

David shakes his head. "We can't keep him as a prisoner! It's not right! Daniel, please-"

"He won't _be_  a prisoner. He'll just be part of the crew. There are, like, six of us. An extra pair of hands would benefit us greatly. Don't try to disagree, you _know_ I'm right." Daniel drags Jasper to his feet and whips out a knife, slicing the ropes binding his hands. He then shoves Jasper towards David, who catches him as he stumbles forward. "David, take him below deck and clean him up, won't you?"

Knowing that it's probably best not to argue, David takes Jasper to Daniel's room and sits him down on the bed. "Here, let's get you fixed up. Are you okay?"

Jasper doesn't reply. His eyes are still wide and he's trembling slightly.

"Jasper...? Are you okay...?"

"I am terrified," Jasper whispers.

"I'm not surprised. I'm- I'm so sorry he hurt you, I didn't want that. I tried to stop him, I- I'm sorry."

Jasper shrugs slightly, and tries to smile. "I'm not dead, right? Just... deeply traumatised."

"I know the feeling," David says slowly. "I mean, I was kidnapped, and- oh, I guess you know all of that already. But- Daniel isn't as bad as he seems, though. He's a good captain and a decent person, truly."

"He's a _pirate._ There's nothing decent about a pirate."

"He let you live." _Just._ Taking a damp cloth, David carefully cleans the blood from Jasper's face, causing him to whimper a little. After he finishes up he rinses the cloth in a bowl of water. "There. You should try to get some rest; you've been through a lot today."

Jasper nods, but his eyes are glazed over and unfocused.

"Jasper?"

He takes a minute to answer. "I'm... I'm fine. How's your leg...?"

"Still there," David answers, shooting him a goofy grin, to which Jasper smiles weakly.

"I'm really sorry," Jasper says, forlorn. "I came out here to rescue you, not to shoot you. Some admiral I am."

"Oh yeah, you're an admiral! That's really neat! Doesn't that make you super important?"

"Not really. I only just got promoted, like, half a month ago. And I already screwed up. I'm so sorry, David, seriously, I never meant to hurt you."

"It's okay, really! It was the second time I've been shot in the past month, actually. I'll live." David smiles at him and pats his shoulder reassuringly. "Try not to worry. Listen, Daniel is a good person. He won't hurt you." With each second that passes, David believes those promises a little less.

"He punched me in the face," Jasper points out. "And kicked me a whole bunch. And he obviously _really_  wants to kill me."

"Well, I know, but-"

"You don't get it, do you? He murdered half of my crew, right in front of me. He just... killed them in cold blood. Just like that. Like their lives meant nothing. And he sank my ship, leaving the rest of them to drown. How do you think he's nice? How are you not terrified?"

David bites his lip. "Well, Daniel and I, we have a- uh, he's..."  
He trails off awkwardly, not really sure of what to say. "I'm really sorry about your crew."

"Thanks."

"Are you... okay?"

"Not really. But I'll be fine. Probably." Jasper takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "I just really wanna go home, y'know?"

David doesn't know, but he nods anyway, unsure of what to do or to say. He never felt at _home_  back home, and right now he can't think of anything he'd like less than going back there. Back to his father, back to his old, boring, suffocating life.

Here, he's free, he's _happy._

He hopes that maybe Jasper can find that here too. Even if right now that seems... less than likely.

"David?"

"Yes?"

Jasper meets his eyes, and there's something else in his expression, something different, and David can't put his finger on it. "You saved my life, didn't you?"

It's more of a statement than a question. They both already know the answer. Still, David nods slowly. "He did really want to kill you. But he won't- I mean... I- I'm sorry I couldn't stop him from hurting you, though."

"It's okay. I'm... I'm still alive. Which is... well... thank you." Jasper reaches a hand up to touch his nose, and he smiles slightly. "Do you think it's broken?"

"I don't think it is, which is a miracle in itself. Does it hurt?"

Jasper laughs quietly and nods, brushing his hair out of his face. "Yeah. Yeah, it hurts. I'll be fine, though."

"I'm so sorry..."

"Don't be. It isn't your fault."

"I know, but... I didn't know... I mean, I know he has hurt people in the past, but I didn't think he would..."

David feels sick. Of _course_ Daniel isn't a good person. He's hurt and killed so many people. He had no problem hurting Jasper, even after promising David he wouldn't. That look in his eye...

But he _loves_  Daniel. They belong together, right? And he only hurt Jasper because he wanted to avenge David. Right? It kind of makes sense, really. Of course that doesn't make him a bad person! It just shows how much he cares for David.

 _That passionate fury in his eyes was terrifying. Daniel was so ready to kill. What if David steps out of line, does something that Daniel doesn't like? What if he ends up being on the receiving end of that rage?_  Maybe this isn't so perfect, after all. Maybe it's twisted and sick and _bad._

"You okay? You seem troubled," Jasper says quietly, and David snaps his head up. Forces a smile.

"Just... deep in thought." He lets out a slow breath. "Here, you're soaking wet, I'll find you a towel."

***

By the time Daniel comes back to his room, Jasper's asleep in a makeshift bed on the floor.  
David's sitting in Daniel's bed, still lost in thought. The conflict between his emotions is driving him mad. His love for Daniel tells him that Daniel _is_  a good person, and this is all a big misunderstanding. On the other hand, he knows that Daniel broke his promise, and hurt Jasper, which is _morally wrong,_ and-

"Hey," Daniel says from the doorway, making David jump and snapping him out of his trance.

"Hey," David echoes, trying to ignore the way his voice trembles slightly. He shouldn't be afraid of Daniel, right? They were so happy together. Things were fine. Things were _perfect._  And yet David can't stop thinking about that terrifying fire in his eyes.

"You okay?" Daniel asks quietly.

"Fine."

"Really?"

David hesitates. Shakes his head. "No."

"I'm sorry." Daniel looks dismayed. He gestures towards the bed. "Is it okay if I...?"

"Of course."

David shifts nervously as Daniel joins him on the bed. Daniel seems nervous too, though, which somehow helps a little bit.

"I trust our... _guest_  is comfortable," Daniel says, nodding towards Jasper's sleeping form. David ignores him, and Daniel sighs. "Are you upset?"

David feels like laughing. "Am I _upset?_  Yes, I'm upset."

"I don't understand. I did what you asked, I spared his life."

"You shouldn't have done that!"

Daniel frowns. "I... shouldn't have spared him?"

"No, you shouldn't- you shouldn't have hit him! You shouldn't have kicked him in the ribs and punched him in the face- you shouldn't have wanted to kill him in the first place! Don't you get that? You shouldn't have broken your promise!"

"I just wanted to do what was best-"

 _"No!_  What you did was _wrong!"_ David cries, fresh tears forming in his eyes. "I... I _trusted_  you."

"You can _still trust me-"_

"No! I _can't!_  How can I trust you after you broke your promise not to hurt him? How do I know you won't break your promise not to hurt _me?"_

The room falls into a deathly silence.

"Oh," Daniel says eventually. "Oh, David, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"I'm _scared,"_  David chokes out in a broken sob.

"No no no please, I'm sorry, _please,_  I don't want you to be scared of me! Darling, please, is there _anything_  I can do to make you forgive me? I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry-"

David wants to _scream._  He wants to yell and argue and maybe hit things. But God, he's _tired,_ so in the end he just starts crying.

"David, David, darling, please don't cry," Daniel says, clearly distressed, "please, I'm sorry, don't cry- oh God, please baby, what can I do to make it better?"

Despite the fear and conflict in his head, right now, David just wants to be held. So he throws himself at Daniel, sobbing loudly into his shoulder. "I'm sorry!" he wails, clinging on to Daniel as if he'd die otherwise. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry-"

"You don't need to apologise! You haven't done anything wrong! It's my fault, I shouldn't have done that, I should have listened to you! I _love_ you!"

"I love you too!" David manages between sobs. "I love you so much! I just- I didn't want anyone t- to get hurt because of me."

"I am _so sorry,"_  Daniel says, holding him tight and rocking him slightly. "It's hard for me to understand, I- violence is the only way I know how to deal with things, but- it's _stupid,_  I _want_  to understand, I want to do better. Will you forgive me please, my angel?"

David flushes slightly at the pet name and buries his face in Daniel's neck. "Of course I forgive you," he whispers. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, darling."

They stay like that for a few minutes, just holding each other and calming down. After a little while Daniel gets up to change into some more comfortable clothes.  
He laughs slightly upon seeing Jasper still fast asleep. "I'm surprised all that fuss didn't wake him," he says, and David smiles.

"Is it okay if he stays there for now?" David asks quietly. "I just wanted him to be comfortable, but I'd also like to keep an eye on him. If- if that's alright."

"Of course that's alright, my love," Daniel answers, and joins him on the bed again, cuddling up to him pulling the blanket over them both. "I love you so much. Please never forget that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cringes in french
> 
> the next few chapters,, HOO BOY we got some fluff, some spicy stuff, some ANGST,, BIG OL EYES EMOJI 
> 
> go find me on tumblr, i'm @nerducci!!  
> also plz do leave a comment, i love hearing what y'all think!!  
> thank u so much for reading!! :D


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys i bought a cowboy hat

The next day, David and Jasper wake up around noon. Daniel isn't there. The two of them stay in Daniel's room, talking about anything and everything. Daniel keeps out of the way. Jen brings them food. The day is otherwise uneventful.

In the evening, Jasper can't get to sleep.

When Daniel comes back to the room, he pretends he's sleeping, terrified that the captain will hurt him again.  
He doesn't get how David seems so perfectly comfortable sleeping in the same bed as Daniel, a man who was killed countless people. And yet David, who seems to be the sweetest person alive, is so _okay_  being so _close_ to him.

Jasper's grateful for the makeshift bed on the floor, of course he is. He's glad he doesn't have to share with the rest of the crew- if you can even call it a crew. He's glad he gets to sleep near David, who has been an absolute angel. Before tonight, ever since the awful day when he came aboard this ship, he slept tied up in a cell below deck. So this, sleeping with blankets and pillows, even if it is on the floor, feels like a luxury in comparison.  
But even so, being so close to _Daniel_ whilst he _sleeps_  is nothing less than terrifying. The captain could easily slit his throat as he's sleeping, and that scares him. He's scared to even close his eyes.

After lying awake for almost an hour, Jasper gets up and leaves the room. He has nowhere to go, not really, but he just can't take this anymore. He can't just lie awake in fear. Instead he goes to sit above deck; it's a little cold, but the stars are bright and it feels safe at least.

Five or ten minutes pass, maybe more. And then he hears somebody clear their throat behind him and _fuck fuck fuck it's Daniel._  Jasper is on his feet in seconds, whipping around to face the captain. He's _panicking,_  but Daniel looks calm, if a little amused.

"You look tired," Daniel says quietly. There's a softness to his voice that takes Jasper by surprise. Still, his heart is pounding in his ears.

"So do you."

"Can't sleep."

"...Me neither."

Daniel smiles slightly and sits down on the deck. He pats the floor beside him.  
"Sit, please," he says, and Jasper does so, still completely terrified. What else can he do, though? If he doesn't do as he's told, well...

They sit together for a few minutes; Daniel seems completely composed and at ease, but  Jasper is on edge the entire time regardless.

"What's the matter?"

Jasper jumps at the question and makes an awkward confused noise, to which Daniel gives a slight laugh.

"There's something bothering you, right?"

"I- yes. Sir."

"Hm. Would you like to tell me what it is?"

No, he wouldn't, actually, but Jasper has a feeling that he should just comply. So he takes a breath and lets it out slowly, trying to figure out what to say.

"I'm just... scared," he begins tentatively. "Of being here. Of you."

"Ah. I suppose that's fair. I did almost kill you."

A short silence passes and Jasper frowns. "Why didn't you?"

"Do you want the nice answer or the honest one?"

"I..."

Daniel laughs and lets out a long sigh. "The nice answer is that I'm a good person. That I value your life." He pauses and glances at Jasper. There's a strange look in his eyes, something that Jasper can't decipher. "The honest answer is that I don't. I simply don't care whether you live or die. In fact, I'd _rather_  you were dead. Now I just have another mouth to feed."

_Oh God, oh no, oh hell no, this isn't good._

"But love is a strange thing," Daniel continues, and Jasper can't help but feel a little bit lost. _Did he space out for a while there? Or did Daniel just completely go off on a tangent?_  
"Love is a strange and _wonderful_  thing that messes with your brain and causes you to make equally strange and _stupid_ decisions."

_What the fuck is he talking about?_

"You see, my dear- what's your name again? I suppose you could say that I'm in love. And my affection for him is getting to my head. It's _corrupting_  me, you see, that's why I kept you alive. He didn't want me to kill you, so I didn't." Daniel pauses for a painfully long moment. "I don't want you to think for a second that I care about you. I'm not a good person. You're wise not to trust me."

Jasper just stares into space, a little dazed. He's pretty sure his brain just broke.

"Are you still with me?"

"Um, yes- yes sir!"  
He cringes slightly as Daniel raises an eyebrow at him. "I mean, uh... no, sir. I'm... confused."

"Alright, well, I'm honestly not surprised. I didn't except you to understand." Daniel sighs and closes his eyes. He looks... sad?

"Are... you okay, sir?" Jasper asks quietly, still uneasy.

"You don't have to keep calling me 'sir', you know."

"Okay. Sorry, sir."  
Daniel snorts and Jasper cringes again. "Sorry, I didn't- uh, sorry."

"That's quite alright," Daniel says, and turns to look at him again. There's that look in his eyes again, something distant and curious and strange. "Jasper, isn't it?"

Jasper nods wordlessly.

"Hm. I'm sorry we had to meet under these circumstances. Perhaps tomorrow you and I can start over. I'll show you around the ship."

"Oh, it's- it's okay, you don't have to-"

"You're on edge. Please, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. Not tonight, anyway."

 _Shit, is it really that obvious that he's terrified?_  Fuck. Okay. Jasper takes several deep breaths. And then he starts crying. He can't help it, he just _hates_  feeling so scared and _vulnerable._  It isn't _fair._

"Oh, for fuck's- hey. _Hey._  Stop crying." Daniel glares at Jasper, and then looks slightly panicked as his sobs increase in volume. The captain reaches forward, and then falters, pulling his hand back and cringing slightly. "Jasper, please, stop, oh God- _David! Come here right now, I need your help!"_

***

David is woken by Daniel shrieking his name. His first instinct is to go back to sleep, but _Daniel doesn't shriek._  Sure, he yells sometimes, but not _shrieking._ He sounds _panicked,_ and that makes David panic, so he scrambles out of bed and up the stairs, barely even awake. His leg hurts, and his vision is sort of fuzzy, but he needs to get to Daniel _as fast as possible_  because _something's wrong,_ oh Jesus hell.

"What's going on?" he mumble-shouts, if that's even possible, voice still thick from sleep.

"David, David, you're here, thank goodness!"

He squints slightly and tries to get his eyes to focus as Daniel runs at him and clutches at his arm.

"Please please make him _stop,"_  Daniel begs, and half drags him across the ship's deck. He points to Jasper, who's apparently having some kind of panic attack. Jasper's panicky sobs snap David out of his stupor and he's immediately at Jasper's side.

"What did you _do_ to him?" David demands, waving his hand in front of Jasper's unfocused eyes.

"I didn't do anything! We were just talking, and suddenly he-"

"What did you _say_ to him?!"

"I told him that I don't care about him but I won't hurt him, at least, not tonight- oh yeah, and I told him I'd rather he died because he's just another mouth to feed."

 _"Daniel!_  That's _horrible!"_

Daniel hesitates and then bites his lip. "Ah. I think I see my mistake."

"You were _mean!"_

"I... right. That would explain the sobbing."

"You're unbelievable! We _talked about this!_ You have to be _nice_  to him!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset him!"

David just sighs and takes both of  
Jasper's hands in his own. "Listen, Jasper," he whispers. "Don't worry about Daniel. He isn't going to hurt you, I promise. Just try and calm down, okay? You're safe now."

It takes several minutes before Jasper's hyperventilating ceases, but he still doesn't seem okay.

"Okay, I'm taking him inside," David decides out loud, and helps Jasper to his feet. "Jasper, you can come to bed with me, okay?"

Daniel opens his mouth, then shuts it again. After a second he opens it again but hesitates slightly before speaking. _"My_ bed?"

 _"Yes,_  your bed! This is _your_  fault! You can sleep on the floor."

"David, that isn't any way to speak to your captain," Daniel says, following David as he leads Jasper back down the stairs. "Hey, where are you- hey! David, come on, I didn't mean to upset him!"

David doesn't bother responding. He just levels Daniel with a glare and heads into the captain's quarters where he sits Jasper down on the bed. "We're going to sleep here tonight, alright? You can lie in this nice bed with me. Is that okay?"

Jasper just nods and makes a vague sort of affirmative noise.

"David," Daniel says, leaning against the doorway. "You can't kick me out of my own _bed_  on _my_  ship."

"Okay. But I don't know if the bed is going to be big enough for all three of us. It's your call, though, _Captain."_

"Come on, you know that isn't what I-"

"You're really going to make him sleep on the floor after what _you_  did to him?"

Daniel hesitates and then sighs. _"Fine._  Let our _prisoner_  sleep in the _captain's_  bed. Make the captain sleep on the _floor._  That's _fine."_  He crosses the room and dramatically flops onto the pile of blankets and pillows next to the bed.

David's about to make a snarky comment about how Jasper isn't a _prisoner,_ but decides that it isn't worth it. He's tired, and he wants to sleep, and he _really_ doesn't want to argue with Daniel right now.

A couple of hours pass. He slips in and out of sleep, never really dropping off properly. It's strange having someone else in bed with him, someone who isn't Daniel.  
David sits up and glances over at Jasper. He's fast asleep, and he looks peacful. Happy, even. It's nice to see.

The bed shifts slightly and David whips around to see Daniel peeking up over the side of the bed, his arms draped across the mattress. His almost bashful expression is somewhat amusing and David can't help but laugh slightly.

"Hey," he whispers, and reaches a hand down to run it through Daniel's hair.

"Hey." Daniel pulls himself up onto the bed, straight into David's lap. "I didn't realise you were awake. If I had known, I would have come up here a lot sooner."

"Well, I would have pushed you right off again," David says stiffly, but can't help smiling slightly as Daniel nuzzles his face.

"What, you're still mad?" Daniel asks quietly, pressing small kisses to David's cheek.

"Yes, I'm mad! You really upset Jasper."

"I didn't kill him, though, did I?"

"No, but-"

David's response is cut short when Daniel presses their lips together in a gentle kiss. After a second Daniel pulls away and grins before coming back for a more passionate kiss. This time his tongue slips between David's lips, and David can't help but moan at the sensation. Daniel's hand move slowly down his chest and under the waistband of his trousers, and David pulls back with a slight gasp.  
"Daniel, what are you doing?" he hisses.

"I thought I made that pretty clear," Daniel purrs, his eyes gleaming in the darkness of the room. He pushes David down so he's lying on his back and moves forwards to lick and bite and his neck. David's uncomfortably aware of the hand still down his pants.

"Danny, we can't- Jasper's right there, he-"

Daniel scoffs, and nips lightly at his ear. "This is my ship. I can do whatever I want. And I want to do _you."_

Well shit.

"Da- ah! Daniel _he's gonna wake up!"_

"I want you so bad. Please, Davey," Daniel begs, his tone teasing. He sits up, straddling David's thighs, and rubs lightly at his crotch with one hand. "Let me pleasure you."

_Shit._

David bucks up against the hand and whimpers. He _wants_  it, but Jasper is literally _two feet away_  and it's going to be super awkward to explain- ah, fuck it.

"Okay, okay, just hurry up!" he whines, pressing himself up into Daniel's hand.

Daniel does hurry up, and he has David trembling and moaning in seconds, trousers pushed halfway down his thighs. David does his best to suppress the sounds he so desperately needs to make. He manages to stay pretty quiet until Daniel moves lower down and mouths at his dick through his thin underwear.

 _"Shit, Danny!"_ he hisses and grabs Daniel's head, unceremoniously grinding against his face. "F- _fuck_  Daniel oh my g-"

Daniel shoots him a devious grin from down between his legs and drags his tongue back up before kissing one soft inner thigh and sucking gently. He gives a light nip and David moans lewdly.  
"What, you like that?" he asks teasingly, and nips again, a little more pressure behind it this time.

"Yes! Oh God yes do it again!" David begs, and covers his mouth to muffle a cry as Daniel bites down harder. Daniel slips a hand up to rub him through his underwear again as he bites and sucks at his thighs. David's legs tremble. He's desperately trying to hold back from climaxing so soon, but he's _close,_  and he knows that Daniel knows.  
He keeps a hand pressed over his mouth, attempting to keep the noise down as much as he can. But then Daniel's hand rubs just a little bit harder, and David can't stop himself from crying out as he orgasms.

"Wow, Davey, you're an easy little slut, aren't you? I hardly even touched you," Daniel says, grinning up at David, making him blush. "You're so pretty like this, all panting and flustered. Such a good boy."

David whines pathetically. "Could you stop? If you keep saying things like... _that,_  you're going to get me hard all over again."

"Oh, I'm counting on it." Daniel crawls up to lie next to him, and presses a sloppy kiss to his cheek. "Can I stay here? Please?"

"Okay. But you have to promise not to make Jasper cry again."

"Ugh. Fine, I'll try not to. But it's not my fault if he's a big baby."

"Danny, that isn't very nice."

"...Sorry."

David giggles. "It's okay. Hey, um, you didn't, uh... do you want me to..."

"God, you're too fucking precious," Daniel says. "It's alright, though, you don't have to-"

David cuts him off with a kiss. He slips a hand down Daniel's pants and rubs gently. "Please?" he asks quietly, and kisses him again.

"I thought you were worried about waking Jasper up?"

"I just want to make you feel good, Danny," David breathes.

"Fuck. Okay. Okay." Daniel's eyelids flutter and he moans quietly as David jerks him off. "Mm, your hands are so good, baby," he murmurs, "fuck, don't stop."

David's hand works faster. "Am I doing good?" he asks innocently, and Daniel groans, unconsciously moving his hips up to fuck David's hand.

"Yes, baby, you're doing so good," Daniel breathes. "Ohh _yes,_  that feels _so_  good. _God_  yes, just like that- _oh-_  just like that, good boy- don't stop-"  
He opens his eyes to see David gazing at him lovingly. He gives a short, breathless laugh. "I'm not going to last if you keep looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you're in love."

David smiles. "I am."

Something about the tenderness of those two words is enough to send Daniel over the edge. He cries out as he finishes, David's smile being the only thing grounding him.

"Fuck, David," he breaths, panting heavily. "Goddamn."

"You okay?"

"Mhm." He pauses. "Gonna need clean underwear, though."

David laughs. "Yeah, me too. Did I... do okay?"

"You did _so_  well, darling. You're so damn sexy, did you know that?"

"You're stupid."

"I'm serious."

"I love you."

"Love you too," Daniel says under his breath. "Love you so much."

"D'you know what time it is?"

"Mm. I don't know. Like, three in the morning. Time to sleep."

David grins and kisses him softly. "Don't wanna sleep," he says, and cuddles up to Daniel's warm body. "I just want to lie here with you."

"Mm, me too. We should probably put some different clothes on, though." Daniel kisses David's nose, which makes him giggle.

"I love you," David says again, his voice hushed but thick with emotion. "I know I already said that but I just really love you and I- think I'm going to cry."

"Hey, why- whoa, Davey, what's the matter? Why are you crying?"  
Daniel wipes his tears away and kisses his cheek.

"I- I don't know, I just- I really love you," David sobs, and sniffs loudly. "I'm- I'm sorry, I'm being ridiculous."

"You're not ridiculous, darling. I love you. So damn much, you're the light of my life, sweetheart, I don't know where I'd be without you."

David smiles through tears. "You really mean that?"

"Of course I do." Daniel stands up, and pulls David up too. "Come on, let's get changed and try and get some sleep. It's been a long day."

They quickly clean up and get some clean clothes before climbing back into bed again. Though their lewd noises and even David's loud sobbing wasn't enough to wake Jasper up, the movement of them getting back into bed apparently is, as Jasper sits up suddenly and looks around, confused.

"Wha's goin' on?" he mumbles, frowning slightly.

"Nothing you need to worry about," David says quietly, and pushes him back down. "Go back to sleep."

Jasper catches sight of Daniel and freezes. He scoots away. "Don't wanna sleep with him."

"Charming," Daniel mutters, and David elbows him.

"It's okay, Jasper, Daniel's not going to hurt you. I can stay in the middle, if that makes you feel better. I'm right here."

"Thanks Davey," Jasper whispers, and promptly goes back to sleep.

The use of the nickname feels slightly strange, and it takes David a moment to work out why. And when he does, it kind of comes as a punch to the gut.

_No one calls him that except Daniel._

"Don't like that," Daniel states, his eyes narrowed.

"Shh, it's okay," David whispers. "Just go to sleep."

Strangely enough, it _is_  okay. He hardly knows Jasper, but David likes him, and being close to him seems like a nice thing. The thought of anyone else but Daniel and Jasper calling him that is weird, but with the two of them-

_Shit, no, don't think like that._

There is no _'with the two of them'._  He doesn't need to be close with anyone else. He has Daniel. Daniel's amazing, and he loves him, and they're happy together. That's enough.

Jasper seems like a decent guy. A decent guy who he'll hopefully become friends with. He shouldn't even _think about_ thinking about him like that, right? It's stupid.

"David? You okay?" Daniel asks quietly, making David jump slightly.

"Oh, yes, I'm... I'm fine. I- I think?"

"Are you sure? You seem kind of... tense."

"I just..."  
He glances at Jasper, who's already completely unconscious again. He looks peaceful.  
David smiles. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote end notes but then i deleted them by accident so goodbye


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JASPVID?? U WANTED? JASPVID???? YES? NO??? YES?? okay
> 
> this chapter is a big old cocktail of angst and uhhh spice so. have fun

In the morning, it's raining, and everyone's in a bad mood. Max and Gwen were yelling at each other before the sun had even risen, waking pretty much everybody else. Now the sky is grey and everything seems bad. The wind is strong, too, which seems to make everyone uneasy. There's a sense of tension in the air.

David hopes that maybe after what went down last night, Daniel will start being at least a little bit nicer to Jasper, but the way the captain keeps shooting him dirty looks suggests otherwise. And Jasper seems nervous, which is justified, but David wishes things could just be peaceful like they were before.

By mid afternoon the wind and rain turns to a full-blown storm. Daniel gets mad at the weather, and the weather only gets worse. He's out on the deck for most of the day, trying to navigate, while David stays in his room with Jasper.

When a huge crash of thunder interrupts the howling wind, Jasper breaks down crying. David stops pacing around the room, and instead sits down on the bed with him.

"What's wrong?" he asks. "Is it the storm? Does thunder frighten you?"

Jasper just shakes his head. After a minute he's able to speak. "I just _hate_  it here."

Oh.

"Oh," David says, and he takes in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. He hesitates, unsure of what to say. "I'm- I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's not your fault." Jasper wipes his eyes and smiles slightly. "You're pretty much the only good thing about being here."

"Oh," David says again, and- _shit, is he blushing?_  "I- I just want you to be happy. Uh, I..."

_Fuck, what is he even supposed to say?_

"Sorry for being such a downer," Jasper says with a sigh. "I guess I just really miss home. I mean, home wasn't that great, but it was better than this." He pauses. "No offence."

"No, it's fine! I get it." Kind of. Not really. "I mean, at first, I hated it here too. It was... different, and Daniel was kind of mean to me, and..."  
Maybe he _does_  know how Jasper feels. At first, he really didn't want to be on this ship. He didn't want to be near Daniel. He was scared. "I guess what I'm saying is... I know what you're going through. But it's gonna be okay."

Jasper smiles at him. "Thanks, Davey. You're really sweet."

_Holy shit._

David does his best to ignore the way Jasper's smile and simple compliment stir butterflies in his stomach.

Holy _shit._  Okay. This is fine. This is probably fine.

What's he even supposed to say to that? 'Thanks'? 'You're welcome'?

"Well, I just..." David begins, and then ducks his head, embarrased. "I just want you to be as happy as possible. You know. I... yeah."

Well, that wasn't awkward at all.

Jasper doesn't seem to mind, though, he just laughs slightly. "Thank you."

There are still tears in his eyes and on his cheeks. David notices, and reaches out a hand to wipe them. "Here," he whispers as he does so, and smiles. "You don't need to-"

He stops mid sentence, suddenly extremely aware of how close they are. Almost involuntary, David's eyes flick down to Jasper's lips. Their eyes meet again, and time seems to slow down.

All David can think about is how much he wants to kiss Jasper.

 _Oh, no, no no no._  This is bad. This is not good. David loves _Daniel._  He shouldn't be thinking about kissing other people. He shouldn't want to- but oh, God, he _wants_ to. _No, no, no, that's- no, if Daniel found out, he'd be so upset. He can't go there, it's not..._

Before he can stop himself he's leaning in and so is Jasper and _oh God they're kissing, holy shit._  David's eyes slip shut as their lips meet. It's so warm and soft and _nice._ Everything is so quiet. It's like the world has stopped moving just for them.

And then the door opens, and time starts back up again.

They fly apart, but it's too late, it's too obvious.

 _Of course Daniel has to walk in on them kissing._ As if he doesn't already want Jasper dead.

_Fuck._

"Daniel, I can-" David starts, but it's no use, he has already turned and walked from the room. "I'm sorry, Jasper," David says quietly before getting up and running after Daniel.

It isn't raining anymore, but it's cold outside, and the wind is harsh. David watches Daniel storm across the deck in dismay.

"Daniel, wait," he tries, but he's ignored. He takes a deep breath before trying again. "Please, just-"

 _"What?"_  Daniel cries, turning around abruptly and throwing his arms in the air. "What can you _possibly say_ to make this better?"

David just shakes his head. There are tears in his eyes now. From guilt, fear, it doesn't matter. Of course Daniel has a right to be mad. This is all his fault.

"How could you? How _could_  you? This is exactly why you told me not to kill him, isn't it? So you could replace me?"

"Daniel, what-?"

"No! Save it! Whatever you're going to say, it's _worthless._  You _used_  me."

_No, no, no-_

"No! I _love_  you! Can't you-"

"Shut the fuck up!" Daniel yells. "I said I don't want to hear it!"

David sobs. "Can't- can't we just talk about this? Please?"

"You want to talk about it?"  
Daniel nods slowly, and takes a few steps towards him. "Okay. Okay, we can talk about it."

"I'm sorry, it didn't mean anything, I swear, it was just a kiss, it was stupid-"

 _"Yeah,_  it was _stupid!"_  Daniel shouts, making David jump. "It was so fucking stupid! Do you really expect me to just be _okay_ with this? What if I hadn't walked in on you, huh? Where would it have gone? You think it's fine to just fuck anyone who takes your fancy?"

At this David turns and walks away. This obviously isn't going anywhere, and he's tired of being yelled at. He tried to make things right, but maybe it just isn't possible.

"Hey- where are you going?" he hears Daniel shout after him. "You're- God, you're such a brat! No wonder your father didn't care enough to pay your ransom!"

David flinches. There's an unpleasant moment of silence. And then he turns around slowly, his eyes cold and angry and hurt. "Wow, Daniel. That was cruel. Even for you."

"David- David, come on, I'm sorry, that was-"

_"Save it."_

***

Two hours go by, and David doesn't stop crying. Screaming didn't help, so he just cries instead. Jasper sits with him. Neither of them talk for a long time.  
When David's sobs finally turn to sad sniffles, Jasper squeezes his hand.

"I'm so sorry," he whispers. "It's my fault, I shouldn't have-"

"No, no, no, it's not your fault," David says softly, and wipes his eyes. "It's- God, I'm so stupid."

"You're _not._  Is... there anything I can do?"

David nods. "Kiss me. Please."

"Oh. I- I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Jasper, _please."_

"Davey..." Jasper starts, and hesitates. "What about Daniel?"

"To _hell_ with Daniel!" David cries. "This is what I want!"

Jasper grabs his face and kisses him hard. It's more passionate than the brief kiss they shared earlier, and David gasps as they part. They're kissing again in seconds, and it's _hot,_ and David _wants_  it. And anyway, it's not like Daniel can possibly hate him any more after the fight they just had. Maybe this is okay. Maybe this is exactly what David needs.

***

It's starting to get dark, and Daniel doesn't know what to do. Should he give David space? Go and apologise? He hasn't ever been in a situation like this before, and he doesn't know what to _do._

Okay, in hindsight he _kind of_  overreacted. Yeah, he was really mad, but some of those things he said...  
Daniel cringes. God, that was... very not nice. He could have just _tried_ to stay a _little_  bit calm. But _no,_ he had to go and blow up. And now David will probably hate him forever.

Maybe he should at least try to apologise.

He heads for his room and lifts a hand ready to knock on the door, but he hears voices inside, and pauses. Okay, yeah, eavesdropping is wrong, but... maybe it could help him figure out where David is at emotionally - it could help him prepare for whatever conversation they might have to have. So he leans against the door to listen.

_"Ah- fuck! Yes! Oh fuck yes oh my God-"_

Daniel recoils. Oh _shit._  Are they-?

_"Oh God yes- just like that Jasper! Oh my God! Oh fuck- God yes please don't stop-!"_

He takes a step back, suddenly far too hot.

Great. They're fucking. Of course they are.

This is all his fault, he shouldn't have gotten so goddamn _mad._ It was just a _kiss._  But this? This is so much more than that. This is-

David screams out in pleasure, and Daniel feels his face flush, partly from anger, partly arousal. It's not fair, _he_ should be the one drawing those noises from David's lips! It isn't _fair!_ But admittedly, hearing those sounds does... kind of turn him on...  
Daniel lets out a frustrated groan and leans against the door again. Fuck this! How dare they do... _that!_  In _his_  bed, too!

 _"This still okay?"_  he hears Jasper ask.

_"Yes yes oh God yes! Fuck- f- h- harder please-!"_

Daniel groans again and shoves a hand down his pants. _Fuck_  this. He should be the one in there fucking David right now. That little bitch Jasper doesn't deserve to be with him like that.

Or, maybe, after all the things he said, it's Daniel who doesn't deserve to be with him like that.

Fuck.

 _"Yes!"_  David cries out. _"Harder! F- fuck me Jasper! Oh my g- yes! Fuck yes it feels so good!"_

Daniel closes his eyes as he jerks himself off. Imagines that he's the one pounding David into the mattress. Which he _should_ be. It's not _fair._

 _"You're such a good boy, Davey,"_ Jasper says, and Daniel bites his lip to stop himself from moaning. God, he _really_  shouldn't find this so hot. _"You love this, don't you? You're so fucking tight. Such a good boy."_

 _Fuck._ Daniel works his hand faster, desperate to get off.

_"Jasp- shit! I'm gonna cum! I'm gonna cum-!"_

David's moans become erratic and high pitched, and it's enough to send Daniel over the edge. He collapses against the closed door as he hears Jasper and David finishing. Part of him wants to be mad and jealous and angry. Another part of him can't ignore the fact that that was _really fucking hot._

Fuck fuck _fuck._

He sighs slowly, eyes still closed. What the _hell_  is he supposed to do now? Just move on, pretending like nothing happened? It's not like he can go inside. At least, not right now. He really owes David an apology, but how? And when? And what's supposed to happen after that?

It's too much to think about. Right now he'll just rest. Things might look better in the morning.

***

David jolts awake a few hours after falling asleep. It's still dark, far too dark to see. For a minute he sits up in bed, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness.  
And then he sees a dark figure moving on one side of the room.  
He starts to scream, but in seconds there's a hand over his mouth keeping him silent.

"Shh, shh, it's just me!"

David's body relaxes and the hand moves from his mouth. "Daniel? You scared me."

"Sorry. I just came in to get some clean clothes. Just give me two minutes and I'll be out of the way."

Shit, his heart is _racing._

David glances at Jasper, who's practically unconscious. "You don't have to-... I mean... you can stay..."

"No, it's- I should give you space."

"Can't we just talk for a little while?" David whispers, and eventually Daniel nods.

"Okay." Daniel sits down beside him. There's a long and uncomfortable silence. "So, I take it you two had a good time."

David cringes. "I- I'm sorry, it just- I'm really sorry, I didn't think it through, I mean- I shouldn't have- are you mad? I'm sorry."

"No no no, I'm not mad. After... what I said to you... you had the right to... do..."  
He trails off awkwardly and shakes. "It's okay. I would have probably done the same thing."

"So... you're not upset with me?"

"No- God, no. I mean, maybe I'm a little upset, but not- I'm not mad at you. Mostly mad at myself. I overreacted, I- I shouldn't have said those things. I'm _really_ sorry."

There's a long silence as David processes these words.

"Thank you," he finally says, his voice quiet. "I'm sorry too."

"Don't be. Maybe if I wasn't such an ass all time we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place."

David laughs slightly. "Yeah, maybe."

 _"Hey,"_ Daniel says indignantly, looking a little dejected, but still he smiles slightly. "If there's anything I can do... if you want me to leave you alone... whatever you need, just tell me, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you." David pauses, trying to ignore the tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry I messed things up. I don't know why-"  
He cuts himself off with a small sob.

"David, it's okay. After all I've done... hell, I'd rather you be with someone who can treat you right. Someone who can make you happy."

"You make me happy," David whispers, and Daniel smiles sadly.

"I think we both know that that's not true."

"It _is_ true! I love you!"

There's another long pause before Daniel speaks again. "Do you love him?"

"I... I don't know. He's nice. I enjoy his company, I- I like him a lot."

"Was it good?"

"Was what good?"

Daniel laughs quietly. "The _sex,_ David."

"Oh gosh," David squeaks, and lifts both hands to his face to hide his blush. "Oh, I- I- it was-"

"I'm just messing with you, you don't have to answer that," Daniel says with a grin. "It _sounded_ pretty good though."

David flushes. "You _heard?"_

_Oh God oh fuck-_

"Mm, and you were saying some _very_ sexy things."

"Oh my _God,"_  David whimpers, absolutely mortified. Daniel heard him and Jasper getting it on? Great! That's just perfect! It's not like this situation could possibly get any more awkward!

 _"Relax,_ it's not a big deal."

"How is it not a big deal?" David mumbles through his hands. "This is so _embarrassing."_

"God, you're so cute," Daniel says quietly. They fall into silence again.

"I shouldn't have done it," David whispers. "I was just... _angry,_  and I didn't know what to do, and... I'm sorry."

"David, it's okay. If-"

"It's _not_ okay!"  
He's close to tears again. "It's not _okay_ because I _liked_  it and- and I wouldn't take it back if I could! I would do it again!"

More silence. Except this time it's more than uncomfortable, it's almost painful.

"I'm sorry, that's so horrible," David says quietly. "You must think I'm so awful."

Daniel exhales slowly. "Of course I don't think that. I could never think like that about you."

"B- but I went behind your back and- it was such a stupid thing to do! I love you so much and I went and ruined it!"

"You haven't ruined anything. It's okay."

"It's not-"

"It's _okay_  because I'm _telling you_ it's okay. Listen, I wish it had happened under different circumstances. I wish we'd had a chance to talk about it first. But it's okay to want to have sex with other people."

David blinks slowly, his eyes wet with tears. "It... is?"

"Of course it is," Daniel says softly, and runs a hand through his hair, taking a minute to choose his words. "All I want is for you to be happy. And lately I've been _really_ shitty. Everything I said to you... it was _stupid,_  I shouldn't have yelled at you, I shouldn't have overreacted. And I shouldn't have gotten so hung up over wanting to kill Jasper, and I- I've just... misjudged a _lot_ of things. Maybe this is exactly what you need. Someone who can take care of you properly. Hell, in the time we've been together, you've been shot _twice._  Don't you think it would be nice to have a nice, normal life?"

David shakes his head. "What are you saying...?"

"I'm saying that I'm not so good for you. You'd be better off with someone like him."

"But I want to be with you! I really do!"

"Sometimes what you want isn't the same as what you _need."_

"Daniel... I don't-... are you telling me you don't want to be with me anymore?"

Daniel laughs slightly and shakes his head. "That's not what-"

"I get it. Really. It's okay if you don't." _Stop crying stop crying stop crying._  "I'm sorry for everything. I'm really sorry."

The room falls silent once more. It's a long while before Daniel speaks, and when he does, he sounds tired. "I don't know how to handle this. I've honestly never been in a situation like this before. I've... never really been in love like this before." He takes a deep breath to steady himself. "All I know is that I love you, and I want you to be happy, and if Jasper makes you happy, then I'll leave you be."

"I'm happy when I'm with you," David says in a small voice.

Daniel sighs. "David... that's... listen, it's late. Why don't we just get some sleep? We can figure this out tomorrow. Things might feel different by then."

"Okay," David whispers, sniffling slightly.

He knows that Daniel's right. This is a big conversation, and they're both tired, and they're not really getting anywhere anyway. It's probably best to rest up and sort things out in the morning. Maybe things will seem clearer then. Maybe there will be a simple solution that they've been missing.

Maybe everything will be okay.

Maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't look at me
> 
> ANYWAY DID Y'ALL SEE THE NEW EPISODE,, THAT WAS SOME GOOD SHIT RIGHT THERE


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! i'm sorry for disappearing for such a long time! my mental health has been bad i'm honestly just trying to focus on getting through, so i haven't been writing much. i'm still not doing good but it's been almost a month since i posted my writing and i wanted to post something, so here we go  
> i can't promise i'll post the next chapter next week, but i'll try!

David wakes up to arms around his waist. He's sandwiched between two warm bodies. He blinks his eyes slowly, trying to focus them. It takes him a little while to remember where he is. The ship. In Daniel's bed. Of course. Where else would he be?  
When he finally starts to adjust to being awake, David realises that he's in bed with Daniel and Jasper. Which admittedly did happen the previous night, but this is _different,_  they're- they're _cuddling._ Is this- is this okay? Is it okay for them to be so close after everything that's happened over the past few days? Especially after last night...

Whatever. It hardly matters right now. Daniel and Jasper are both asleep, and David is so comfortable. Even if it's just for a little while, he'll allow himself to be happy here, curled up in Jasper's arms with Daniel pressed against his back. It's warm, and it's nice, and he just wants to stay like this forever.

Of course, it won't last. Minutes pass, and behind him, Daniel stirs. _"I love you I love you I love you,"_  he mumbles in David's ear, still probably half asleep. It makes David smile. But he can't help but think that after everything that went down yesterday, it would be surprising if Daniel does still truly love him. But for right now, David can pretend that it is true. In this moment, whatever they're going through can wait. They can worry about all of that later.

Later comes a lot sooner than he expected, because very soon Daniel seems to wake up fully, and he sits up.

"Don't go," David whines, tugging on Daniel's wrist. "Lie back down."

"Don't you want me to leave-?"

"Stay, please," he whispers, "it's warm and nice."

Daniel seems to think about it for a moment before giving in and lying down again with a small sigh.

David smiles again. This is nice. This is really nice.

Five minutes pass before Daniel sits up again. "Don't go," David whines again, making Daniel laugh slightly.

"I have to go," he says, "I have things to do."

"Like _what?"_

"Like navigating so we don't go off course and die, idiot."

David groans, but allows Daniel to get out of bed this time. "Mm... okay. Where are we going, anyway?"

"Don't know yet," Daniel replies. "Usually we'd vote on a course, but... our crew is..."  
He trails off and makes a pained face. "I don't think they'd make a sensible decision."

David laughs slightly at that. Well, Daniel's not wrong, their crew is a little...

It'll work out. Probably. Hopefully.

"I'll figure something out, though," Daniel says. "Until then, we'll just..."  
He makes a vague sort of gesture with one hand. "You know."

David blinks twice and then shakes his head. "That seems like a horrible idea!"

"Yep!" Daniel says cheerfully, pulling his jacket on. "I'll be back in a little bit."

"Okay." David watches as he leaves the room, smiling slightly to himself. It feels like a nice sort of morning. It feels like their fighting is behind them now. All the bad things that happened, they're over.

He knows that it isn't true, though. They didn't exactly resolve anything last night. Yeah, their conversation ended on a slightly better note, but it didn't really fix things.

At least they're not not yelling at each other anymore, right? That's got to be a good thing.

For a little while David lies still, contemplating the whole situation, before deciding that he should probably go talk to Daniel. The thought of having a big serious conversation makes him feel a little sick, but he figures it's best to get it over with.

  
It's sunny today, and much warmer than it was yesterday, which is nice. And everyone seems a little calmer, too. David passes Gwen on the deck and smiles at her. "Good morning, Gwen!" he greets her.

"Morning," she replies, returning his smile - possibly with a slight roll of her eyes, which David chooses to ignore.

"How are you doing today?" he asks, anxious to get to Daniel but still feeling somewhat obligated to make conversation.

"Pretty good, actually."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Are you-?"

"That's great Gwen! I've gotta-"  
David gestures vaguely in Daniel's direction and grins apologetically. Gwen says something as he runs off. Whatever it was, he hopes it wasn't too important.

He finds Daniel at the wheel, looking out at sea through an ornate telescope. His face is calm, and it makes David smile.

"Oh, hello," he says when David taps his shoulder, closing the telescope and slipping it into his pocket.

"Hey," David says, and bites his lip. This was stupid. What's he going to say, anyway? "Uh, I'd like to talk. With you. If that's okay."

"Of course." Daniel smiles. "Lovely weather, isn't it?"

"Daniel."

"Okay, okay. What do you want to talk about?"

"...Everything."

"Everything? Well, okay, let's-"

"Don't. You know what I mean. I want to talk about... us."

"I know," Daniel says, leaning against the wheel, "but it's hard."

"I know."

Daniel exhales slowly. "I think he's good for you, David. And I don't doubt that you're good for him, too. I could never be mad at you for wanting to be with someone like him."

"But I'm in love with you."

"I'm in love with you too."

"Really?"

Daniel laughs slightly and looks away. "Don't act so surprised. It isn't hard to be in love with somebody like you. If anything, I should be the one who's surprised. I've been an ass."

"Yes, well, maybe you have been... a bit..."

"A bit of an ass?"

"I mean, I wasn't going to say that, but..."  
David trails off, smiling slightly. "I still love you."

"Well, that's because you're stubborn. And stupid."

"Maybe I wouldn't be so stubborn if you weren't so nice and caring and smart and handsome and-"

"Oh my God, stop." Daniel rolls his eyes. "I'm not that nice."

"Mm, true, you can be a bit of an ass."

At this, Daniel laughs and punches his arm playfully. "Shut _up."_

David's grin fades and his voice turns serious. "Really, though. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Okay."

"Okay."

There's a long moment of silence before he speaks again. "Do you think we could... maybe... go back to how things were before?"

Daniel smiles slightly. "I'd like that. I can't promise things won't change with _him_  in the mix, but... I want to be- I want us to be okay."

"Me too," David says.

"Okay."

And it _is_  okay. At least, more okay than it was before, definitely. Things feel a bit better now, and neither of them are upset now, which is a good thing. Maybe now it's time to move forwards.

Which starts with moving away from this conversation, which starts with changing the subject.

"What were you looking at before?" David asks, remembering Daniel's fancy telescope. "With your telescope, I mean?"

"Ah," Daniel says mysteriously, and smiles. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the telescope, and then hands it to David. "Why don't you take a look for yourself?"

"I- I don't know how..."

Daniel grins. "Here." He moves the telescope to David's eye and points it in the right direction.

Somewhere between them and the horizon, there's a ship.

"Oh," David says, "are we going to attack them?"

"Something like that," Daniel replies with a slight laugh. "We'll board the ship, steal their stuff... you know. No one needs to get hurt. And with what little crew we have, well... we can't really afford to be starting fights."

David nods. "Good, that's good. Killing people isn't good. I mean, it's best not to hurt people if we can- y'know. Not."

"If you say so," Daniel says. He seems doubtful. David decides to change the subject.

"How long until we get close enough to board the ship?" he asks, and looks through the telescope again. The ship looks somewhat fancier than theirs. It looks a long way off, but he isn't good at judging distances, and he has no idea what speed either ship is going.

"I'd say... a quarter of an hour, maybe? We'll use the time we have to prepare. Or, we _would,_ but there's only so much you can do when your crew consists of..."  
Daniel trails off and pulls a face.

"It'll be fine!" David says enthusiastically. "The crew will work out and this will work out too and- can I come?"

"What?"

"Can I come? On the mission?"

Daniel laughs. "No. And don't call it a mission."

"What? Why not?"

"Because it sounds _stupid,_ David."

"No, I mean- why can't I come? I can help!"

"Okay, first of all, your leg is hurt, remember? And secondly I don't think you're capable of hurting a _fly,_  so if we did get into a fight, I wouldn't be able to trust you not to get shot again. Or murdered. Or kidnapped! Or-"

"Daniel, I can defend myself!" David insists. "And my leg is really a lot better. It doesn't even hurt anymore!"

"Do you know how to use a gun?"

"No-"

"Have you ever even held a sword?"

"No, but-"

"You're not coming."

"Why not? I have the knife you gave me! I can help!"

Daniel takes David's face in his hands and meets his eyes, suddenly serious. "Listen. I am _not_ going to let you get hurt again." He softens and smiles sadly. "Maybe next time, okay? I just want to keep you safe."

David pulls a face but nods anyway. He knows that Daniel's right; risking getting hurt again so soon would be stupid. And he was lucky to survive getting shot before, but he might not be so lucky next time. Minimising that risk makes sense. And plus, it's sweet that Daniel's so concerned for his safety.

 _"However,"_ Daniel says, "we need as much backup as possible if we want to raid the ship successfully, so Jasper's coming with us."

_"What?"_

"I said Jasper's coming wi-"

"I heard what you said! That's not fair!" David exclaims. "You're not letting me come with you but you're taking him? You don't even like him! That isn't fair! If he's going, I'm going too."

"No, you're not. You can stay here and look after the ship with Max. We won't be gone for very long. Surely you can entertain yourself for a little while."

"That isn't the point! It's not fair that Jasper gets to go but I don't!"

Daniel sighs. "David, calm down. This is a sensible decision, okay? You're to stay on the ship. Now, go and get Jasper. We'll be getting ready to board the ship soon."

***

"Why do you think he wants me to go?" Jasper asks, pulling his boots on. "I thought he, like, hated me and wanted me dead or whatever. Why would he ask me to go with them?"

"Probably because you're expendable," David mutters, scowling.

Jasper looks alarmed. "I'm what?"

"No- I didn't- sorry, I didn't mean that at all! Sorry. I'm just-"

"Upset because Daniel won't let you come?" Jasper finishes.

"Yeah..."

"I didn't really think you'd be the type to, y'know, participate in stuff like that."

"What do you mean?"

Jasper shrugs. "I don't know. You just seem... too _nice_  to be a pirate. You don't really wanna board some ship and steal stuff, do you?"

"I just want to help Daniel!" David says with a slight smile.

"You'd do anything for him, wouldn't you?"  
It seems to be more of an observation than a question, so David just smiles nervously.

"I should probably go before Daniel comes in here and drags me out," Jasper says as he stands up, probably only half joking. "I'll see you soon, though."

"Okay." David stands up too to hug him. "Stay safe."

***

David finds Max reading a book in the crew's quarters below deck. Since he got on the ship, Max has mostly kept to himself, and David figures it's about time for him to try and befriend him, or at least get to know him a little.

"Good morning Max!" he says, trying to sound cheerful despite still being a bit upset that he got left behind. Also, he isn't sure if it is actually morning still. It could well be afternoon by now. Either way, Max doesn't look up from his book. Maybe he didn't hear David's greeting? Or maybe he's ignoring him? No, he wouldn't do that, would he? That would be rude. David clears his throat. "What are you reading?"

"I will literally pay you to leave," Max says flatly, still not looking up from his book. Hang on, isn't that the book that Gwen was reading? Oh no, what if there's inappropriate content? Oh God, what would a responsible adult do?

"Uh, isn't that Gwen's book?" he asks, somewhat nervously. "I don't know if that's age appropriate..."

"Oh, it's definitely not age appropriate," Max says, with an expression that can only be described as pure evil. "Some guy just got killed with an axe, and-"

"Max! That's not- you shouldn't be- don't you think you're a little bit young to be reading something like that?"

"Don't you think you should be fucking off right about now?" Max shoots back.

David sighs. "Okay... I'll come see how you're doing in a bit, okay?"

"Please do not."

Something tells David that trying to have a conversation with Max isn't going to go anywhere. At least, not right now. Maybe he'll try again soon. Yeah, Max is probably just adjusting to life on the ship. David is sure that Max's attitude will have changed in a couple of days. He's sure that underneath that cold exterior, there's a bright, kind and thoughtful kid.

"David. Literally fuck off. Please."

Maybe.  
Well, at least he said please, right?

David makes his way back to Daniel's room and flops down onto the bed. His leg hurts, which is _stupid,_ because he really did think it was better. His head hurts too. And he's bored. And lonely. And _bored._  
He stares at the ceiling for a while. Then he rolls onto his side and stares at the wall for God knows how long. Then he stands up, walks around the room a few times, and lies down again. He doesn't like being on his own. He likes having people around all the time to talk to and be close with. Being alone is so shitty and boring.  
It reminds him of all the time he spent alone as a kid, sitting in his bedroom, waiting for something interesting to happen. He didn't really have any friends, and his father rarely had time to spare for him. So he spent his time wishing for adventure, like in the stories his governess would tell him. Fairytales, mostly. Good against evil. Princesses and magic and royalty and happy endings. He'd wish and wish and wish for his life to turn into one of those stories. Some magical being would sweep him away and take him to a place where things were different. Where he could be happy, and where he could be loved.

And now, it's almost like his wish came true. It's like he's in a fairytale now. He's just on the wrong side of it. Because Daniel isn't some handsome prince who's going to take him to a fancy ball; he's a pirate. And the pirates are always the bad guys, right?

Maybe David's overthinking it. Maybe he's just really, really, _really_  bored.

Yeah, that sounds about right.

Eventually his thoughts turn into a blur, and he ends up falling asleep.

***

When David wakes up, everything feels fuzzy. Sleeping in the day does that sometimes. He blinks his eyes a few times, trying to figure out where he is and what's going on. When he realises he isn't alone anymore, he sits up quite suddenly, fast enough that it makes him dizzy. "You're back!" he exclaims nonetheless. Daniel and Jasper are back, and apparently deep in conversation, Jasper sitting on the bed beside David, Daniel leaning against the wall. They both jump slightly at David's sudden exclamation.

"We're back," Daniel confirms, as if it wasn't obvious. "We've been back a while actually. You were asleep."

Oh. "What time is it?"

"Night time."

"Ah." David reaches out to take Jasper's hand. He doesn't miss Daniel's slight smile. "How did it go?"

"Not bad," Daniel says. "We got some valuable resources. And some valuable information. And-"

Jasper grins at David. "And I punched a guy in the face!"

"And that. Some face punching happened."

"Wow," David says, "it sounds like you guys had a lot of fun. Without me."

"Hey, you didn't miss out on much," Jasper says softly, and squeezes his hand. "And you got some rest, that's good."

"He's right. You were better off here, believe me. Honestly I think you would have found it boring."

David pouts. "Bet I wouldn't have been as bored there as I was here."

"Anyway," Daniel says, not acknowledging that, "we're going to a party!

"A- what?"

"A party."

"No, I- I heard." David pauses. "What-? How- what party?"

"So, we were interrogating this guy," Daniel says, and Jasper nods enthusiastically.

"The guy I punched!"

"The guy Jasper punched. And-"  
Daniel cuts himself off upon noticing David's concerned expression. "You know what, 'interrogating' is a strong word. We were asking him a few politely worded questions. And Jasper only punched him after he started being an asshole. It was all very wholesome, really. Anyway, listen- that ship, it was headed for an island a little way from here. It's owned by a very wealthy man named Cameron Campbell. He has a castle, apparently. But this weekend he's supposed to be throwing this huge party, some masquerade thing. It's a perfect opportunity, and it isn't like we had a course set anyway, so that's where we're going."

It makes sense, David supposes. And sure, they're only going because it's a good opportunity to steal some stuff, but a party like that could be fun. "Wait- did you say Campbell?" he says suddenly when the name registers in his brain. "I know him! Well, my father did. They had a business deal, or something. I think they still do, I'm not sure. But I met him once, a long time ago."

"Really? You know him? Ah. That might make things a little easier." Daniel stands up straight and grabs his coat from where he left it on the dresser. "I need to talk to Jen. I'll be back soon."

Once he's gone, Jasper smiles slightly. "It's supposed to be a very exclusive party. Invite only. He had this whole elaborate plan about sneaking in."

"What? Oh no. That's ridiculous. Mr Campbell knows my father, I'm sure he'll let us- oh _no,_ I ruined Daniel's plan, didn't I?"

"Yeah," Jasper says with a shrug, "but it was a shitty plan. He'll get over it."

David laughs quietly, and then lies down, suddenly tired of sitting up. His hand is still holding Jasper's. "So," he begins. "How did it go? I mean, aside from the punching part. How was it? Being with Daniel, I mean."

"Well... he's not as scary when he's not trying to kill me. He's actually kind of... nice? God, I can't believe I just said that. No, he's... he's something. But I think he likes me. At least, he wasn't mean to me. That's good, right?"

"That _is_  good!" David says, possibly a little too enthusiastically. He sits up again so he can face Jasper. "That's great. I mean, I'm glad. That's good. I _told_ you he's not as terrible as he seems."

Jasper gives a slight laugh and shakes his head. "Sure, whatever you say."

"Jasper?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for giving him a chance."

"I think you should be thanking _him_ for giving _me_  a chance," Jasper says softly. "And I should be thanking you for convincing him to not kill me. If it wasn't for you, I think-"

David brings a finger up to Japser's lips, shushing him. "Hey, it's in the past. Let's not think about that."

Jasper smiles, staring into David's eyes. "Your eyes are really pretty," he says quietly, making David blush.

"So are yours," he whispers with a smile, watching as Jasper's gaze falls and settles on his lips.

"Can I kiss you?"

David nods enthusiastically and just like that they're kissing, and it's wonderful. He briefly wonders if this is okay. What would Daniel say? Well, he seemed to think that Jasper's good for David. But David is in love with Daniel.  
All of those thoughts soon leave his head, though. It doesn't matter now. All that matters right now is Jasper's lips against his, and the warmth and the excitement and the _love_  that he feels. He's too lost in the kiss to stop and wonder what that love means. All that matters is that it's there and it's real. He can think about the rest later.

***

Later, he thinks about it. A lot.

David lies awake as Jasper and Daniel sleep on either side of him, Daniel on his left, Jasper on his right. They're all sort of cuddled up, and David finds himself wondering again if this is okay. They didn't really discuss sleeping arrangements at all, it just kind of happened. David and Jasper stayed up talking for a while, and eventually fell asleep. David was woken a bit later by Daniel slipping into the bed beside them. And now they're both asleep and David's awake and he doesn't know what to think.

There are things that he knows for certain, and things that are unclear. He's in love with Daniel. He definitely _loves_ Jasper. But is he _in love with_  Jasper? And if he is, is that even okay? Is it even okay to be in love with more than one person? Daniel said before that it was okay to want to have sex with other people, but this is _different,_  this isn't about that. It's much more complex.  
It's all horribly confusing.

Maybe he's overthinking it. But it feels like something worthy of being thought about.

Deep down, he knows how he feels. He's in love with both of them. He wants to be with both of them.  
But what if they don't understand? What if they want him to choose between them? What if-...

David lets out a long sigh, and wonders why feelings have to be so complicated. He wishes things could be simple. Part of him wishes that he never met Jasper. He was happy with Daniel.  
But he knows that that's stupid. He really does love Jasper, and of course he's glad they met. It just makes everything so... complicated.

When he finally falls asleep, his dreams are troubled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! comments are very appreciated :)
> 
> like i said before i'm still not very well so pls be nice <3
> 
> OH also!! pls go follow me on instagram i'm @nerducci there too and that's where i post art and some pictures of my rats and my cat so pls come say hi and also i'm @nerducci on tumblr but i'm not posting much art rn but anyway omg


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